Concert Brass
May. 20, 2011
Many people are of the opinion that brass bands only play marches; however, this is definitely a misconception as far as Hathern Concert Brass is concerned. The Band was in fine form at their concert on 20.05.11 in St Mary’s RC Church, Loughborough, which was held to raise funds for the recent re-decoration works. Under the baton of Musical Director Andrea Allen, Hathern Concert Brass presented a lively programme in variety of musical styles.
Compositions by Andrew Lloyd-Webber were well represented and included No Matter What from Whistle Down The Wind, which featured the expert playing of Steve Matthews on cornet. Steve’s playing was also prominent in Old Gumbie Cat from the popular musical, Cats and was complemented by the smooth and melodious tones of Dean Onyon on euphonium.
The evening saw the Band’s premiere performance of the Beatles hit Ticket to Ride, which certainly evoked memories of the days of steam, or perhaps a visit to the Great Central Railway and it was definitely a journey enjoyed by the audience.
Amongst other numbers in the programme were Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Cruella de Vil from the Disney film, 101 Dalmatians and the Robbie Williams hit, Angels, which included some fine playing by Chris Mulvaney on flugel horn. The brass band traditionalists were not forgotten however, with performances of the toe tapping marches, Kenilworth and Star Lake.
It was a most enjoyable evening and Andrea’s amusing anecdotes and introductions to the numbers certainly added to the entertainment. The audience also needed little encouragement to join in the fun during YMCA and Amarillo, and were sent home with a spring in their step after the Band’s stylish rendition of the popular Michael Bublé song, Sway, which featured plenty of Latin rhythm from Vicky Jones on cornet.
Concert Brass was established three years ago to develop young players in readiness for progression to the Main Hathern Band, by giving them the opportunity of playing a wide variety of music and gaining performance experience. It is also an ideal forum for people not wanting the pressure of competitions that goes with being a player in the main band. Concert Brass has grown steadily and there are currently over 30 members, ranging in age from 8 to 70 but new players are always welcomed.