MARSDEN SILVER ARE HIGHLY POLISHED AT BOARSHURST !!

Marsden Silver Prize Band were in fine form on Sunday 4th November as they thrilled a very appreciative ‘Sunday Brass’ audience at Boarshurst Band Club in Greenfield, Saddleworth. Under the direction of euphonium star Glyn Williams, the Marsden Silver Band played a programme of music of immense variety and appeal.

The concert opened with the bands signature march, “Riverhead”, from the pen of Derek Broadbent. In traditional fashion the band continued with an overture. Tonight we were treated to a thrilling performance of the overture to the comic opera “The Impresario”, from the pen of Domenico Ciamarosa, arranged for brass band by Denis Wright. This well-known brass band overture was given real quality treatment by this well-rehearsed band from West Yorkshire! Bravo! Off to musical theatre next with a lovely arrangement by Stephen Bulla of Andrew Lloyd Webbers “Love Changes Everything”. The melody line was provided by the silky tone of principal cornet Jason Evans. As conductor Glyn Williams commented, “this is music that can be played by all bands in all sections, but the Marsden Band play these arrangements with attention to every detail on the copy, with full commitment”. He was right! Beautifully played!

The next item on the programme suggested that a roaring motorbike was about to make an entrance! ‘Indiana Jones’ fans knew differently of course. John Williams wrote many film scores and his “Scherzo For Motorcycle And Orchestra” from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” transcribes perfectly for brass band. In this arrangement by Klaas van der Woude we were taken straight into the world of Indiana Jones, as Harrison Ford on motor cycle, with his dad, played by Sean Connery, sped along! Energetic playing from the band, with a performance John Williams would have been delighted with!

The Marsden Silver Prize Band has a tremendous depth of young talent. Tonight the bands principal tenor horn player Neil Raisbeck gave his first solo performance with the band. He chose to play “And Everything Is Still” from the pen of Andy Scott. In this arrangement by Jim Fieldhouse, Neil Raisbeck demonstrated his magnificent sound and controlled playing of this lovely melody. Congratulations Neil, and we wish you well in your future on principal horn.

The Rolling Stones are an unlikely band to be mirrored by a brass band. However, in this very clever arrangement by Alan Catherall of the very melodic “Ruby Tuesday” written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richard, we were transported to the world of classic rock! Our second soloist of the evening provided the audience with one of the most beautifully played solos I think I have ever heard at Boarshurst Band Club! In an arrangement by Elgar Howarth of Stephen Fosters “Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair”, solo baritone Michael Cavanagh simply brought the house down. The baritone horn is, in the right pair of hands, one of finest sounding instruments in the band. Tonight Michael Cavanagh made the baritone ‘sing’ with a voice so pure, and with very well controlled band accompaniments, provided us with a performance to be remembered for ever. Thank you Michael.To round off the first half the Marsden Silver Prize Band performed a movement from their upcoming contest piece for the Scottish Open Championship taking place in Perth later this month. Philip Sparke has provided brass bands with a wealth of music for both the concert platform and competition works for all levels of playing. His compositon “A Tale As Yet Untold” is typically full of rhythm, melody, and at this level of brass banding, some fiendishly difficult passages. Tonight Marsden showed they are getting to grips very nicely with their upcoming challenge; and, with three weeks to go, expectations are certainly higher than ever!

After a very well earned interval, the Band opened the second half with a ‘Latin-American’ feast of rhythm and big band sound in “Malaguena” composed by Ernesto Lecuona and Bill Holman, in a fabulous arrangement by Sandy Smith. This was really well played and the band once more showed off its virtuosity. A ‘Maynard Ferguson moment’ was expertly delivered by the bands soprano cornet player, Ian Twiss! Once more the Marsden Silver Prize Band put on show yet another of its young soloists. Emily Braverman on solo euphonium played a stunning performance of another Andy Scott composition “Far Beyond The Stars”. Emily displayed such an effortless sense of pitch and tonal quality on this wonderful instrument. Well played Emily, the audience were thrilled!

Only last week, conductor Glyn Williams was held up in traffic on his way to rehearsal in Marsden, so the band rehearsal was started under the direction of ‘third man’ cornet player Alastair Campbell. He had brought with him a new piece for the band entitled “El Es El Senor” by Dean Jones. He ran through it with the band whilst waiting for Glyn to arrive. It was so popular that it is now in the concert programme! I knew there was a reason for traffic jams!! Great music! It really felt as though we had been transported to Madrid, and what super ‘spanish trumpet style’ playing from Jason Evans! What versatility!

Sunday Brass at Boarshurst always features a hymn. Tonight the Marsden Silver Prize Band performed an arrangement of the beautiful John Ireland composition “Love Unknown”, which the band played at all Brighouse, Hebden Bridge and Morley March and Hymn contests, picking up two wins and a runners-up prize!

Our final soloist of the evening proved that the ‘lower end’ of the band is no longer the preserve of the ‘larger’ male members. Apologies to those who may fit this description, but bass players have always been known to enjoy a few beers to ‘keep up their strength’ to enable them to fill the instrument. Tonight we were taken onto the dance floor for a tango and waltz as the bands young, beautiful, and slim, Eb tuba soloist, Samantha Minshall, played a breath-taking performance of the late Roy Newsome composition, “Bass In The Ballroom”. What a sound! No wonder the Marsden Silver Prize Band has that great foundation with bass tones as good as this! Recently composer and brass band arranger Alan Fernie came up with a new take on Henry Mancini’s “Moon River” from ‘Breakfast at Tiffanys’. Great playing in this stunning arrangement!!

I guess we had to expect that Glyn Williams couldn’t leave us without a little Welshness in the air. So what better way to celebrate his homeland than with the music of the most famous voice to come out of Wales; the incomparable Tom Jones! This arrangement of Toms most popular songs entitled “Tom Jones In Concert” was put together by the talented Frank Bernaerts. There were no knickers thrown from the audience, but probably one of the bands biggest fans from Marsden, newly married Donna Taylor could be heard in the distance singing along to her favourite song “Delilah”. Brilliant playing from this amazingly versatile brass band!!

Richard Wagner is well known for his immense compositions and his music is not for the timid or fainthearted. As a finale to their fabulous concert, Marsden Silver Prize Band left the Boarshurst audience with a ‘full-on’ performance of Wagners “Procession To The Minster”, arranged for brass band by Howard Snell. The opening section featured the bands very talented flugel horn player Alanah Moulsdale. The heights of the introduction were accomplished with such tonal quality that you could see the pleasure on the faces of her fellow musicians. Well played Alanah! The gradual crescendo throughout the piece was so well controlled, and the piece reached its climax with plenty to spare! Well directed by the conductor and a thrilling end to a stunning concert.

As an encore, the Marsden Silver Prize Band played us out with Johann Strauss’ “Radetzky March. The audience were encouraged to join in the handclapping in traditional ‘Vienna Philharmonic’ style by their delighted musical director Glyn Williams.

The Boarshurst Band Club and Boarshurst Silver Band would like to thank Glyn Williams and the Marsden Silver Prize Band for performing such a varied programme of music tonight. I should also like to thank fifteen year old Tommy Tynan, Bb Bass player with the band, who has helped to provide content for our printed concert programme. He is a great asset to the band! Our best wishes go to the Marsden Silver Prize Band as they begin the final preparations for their upcoming performance at the Scottish Open Championship in Perth later this month.

Review by John Whittle, 5/11/2012