Celebration of Britain’s best
Soloists Leah Williams, Lucy Murphy, and Michael Howley with conductor Garry Cutt
BRIGHOUSE and Rastrick Band bounced back from defeat in the National Championships in London to celebrate Yorkshire’s contribution to the world of brass.
B & R, which came second in the Nationals at the Royal Albert Hall, shared the stage at Huddersfield Town Hall with Rothwell Temperance Band for a programme called ‘Britain Celebrates’.
The concert was part of the long-running massed bands series which has been held since 1946.
Garry Cutt was guest conductor and chose the programme which was a reminder of some of the greatest British music and Yorkshire’s thriving brass band scene.
There were firm favourites such as the march ‘Crown Imperial’, heard at the Duke and Duchess of Cambriidge’s wedding, Elgar’s haunting ‘Nimrod’, Sullivan’s ‘Lost Chord’ and ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ and Malcolm Arnold’s descriptive ‘Padstow Lifeboat’.
Rothwell’s principal euphonium player Michael Howley, previously a member of B & R, gave a faultless performance of Hartmann’s difficult variations on ‘Rule Britannia’, despite a recent bout of flu.
Two of B & R’s female players, principal horn Leah Williams and Lucy Murphy on flugal, gave a haunting performance of Peter Graham’s duet ‘Reflections’.
Individual items were completed with the eight lead cornets from both bands combining in the famous ‘Cornet Carillion’.
The evening finished in true celebratory tradition with audience participation for Parry’s ‘Jerusalem’ and Elgar’s ‘Pomp and Circumstance No 1’, better known as ‘Land of Hope and Glory’.
The band had to play the last item twice before being allowed to leave the stage to a standing ovation.
B & R will be presenting their popular matinee and evening Christmas concerts on December 15 at Central Methodist Church, Brighouse.
The next massed bands concert will be on March 23, 2013 when B & R will share the stage with Whitburn Band, 16 times Scottish champions. Tickets for the concerts are available from Graham Ward on 01484 712355.
B & R’s latest CD ‘War of the Worlds’, with music by Peter Graham, and ‘Diversions Vol 2’, a CD of the band’s ground-breaking performance with folk group The Unthanks are available on the band’s website at www.brighouseandrastrick.co.uk
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Weather for Halifax
Saturday 18 May 2013
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