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Last year, a new venture for us was a join concert with the New Forest Big Band. It took place in the Waterside Theatre, Holbury and was both well attended and greatly appreciated. Naturally, we wanted to follow it up with a similar event this year....
This year's event was held on the evening of 26th January, again in the Waterside Theatre. A format roughly similar to last year was adopted, with the bands, set up next to each other on the stage, taking alternating spots, before concluding with a joint finale.
This year, the concert was again due to open with a short set from the Big Band. However, there was a problem - their bass guitar player had phoned in saying he was stuck in traffic. Fortunately, one of our tubists, Pete Gosney, happened to have a double bass stowed away in his car (like you do, just for emergencies!) and offered to step in. Thus the show got started on time and Pete did the business. Cue one very impressed audience and two impressed bands.
Anyone remembering last year's event might recall our unusual opening. A similarly strange opening was adopted this year with the first piece - Ticket To Ride - with us all blowing air noisily through our instruments rather than actually playing proper notes. Amongst the other music included in our programme was Suppé's overture Morning, Noon & Night, Kalinka, Lennon/McCartney's Thingumybob! and the Ray Farr arrangement of Bach's Toccata in D Minor (for those that remember is, similar to the Sky version from a few years back). This year, our featured soloists were Steve Dawkins playing Nessun Dorma and Andy Verner playing Don Lusher's Concert Variations.
The Big Band played a wide range of music appropriate to that genre, including a Glenn Miller spot opening the second half. Two items I particularly enjoyed were both solo items - "Night Train", featuring trombonist Robert Thomas and sax solo "Harlem Nocturne" played by Richard Dennison. As a finale, as last year, both bands played "Hootenanny". Twice!
Summing up, this year's concert seemed to be even better than last years. The audience seemed to greatly appreciate it and we've received many glowing reports since. Many thanks to the New Forest Big Band, the Esso Music & Drama Group and the organisers whose hard work made everything run smoothly.
Guy, 31/1/2001
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| More pictures from Brass Meets Big Band Again. Click to enlarge. |
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