Summer Concert
| Marcus Pashley introduced the concert as being one of music ‘on the lighter side’ and the balmy summer evening made this seem even more appropriate. The Symphony Orchestra began, disguised as a decent theatre pit band, with the ‘Carousel’ Overture which is dominated by the famous waltz, delivered here with impressive rubato. The players then found a more noble tone (led by some fine legato brass) and became an opera pit band for the touching ‘Intermezzo’ from ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’. The massed strings sounded superb in the central ‘Adagio’ from the Elgar ‘Serenade’: warm, rich and with a hint of portamento.
Sophie Langdon directed the ‘Toy’ Symphony (two movements may be by Leopold Mozart but some scholars believe a Benedictine monk composed it) with the String Orchestra and a motley bunch of eight guest artists from Common Room as guest stars on toy trumpet, quail, cuckoo rattles, triangle etc. The anonymity of these players has been requested in case they are offered bookings for a world tour which would clash with their other duties. The gallimaufry of rhythmic noise and squeaks certainly spiced up the texture, though the real music was provided by the excellent young string players.
The Symphony Orchestra (led by Tory Sawyer) returned to play Leroy Anderson’s ‘Bugler’s Holiday’ with trumpet soloists Tom Dyer, Nick Froy and Head of Brass, Bob Wilson. As well as their feats of triple-tonguing there was a tremendous crispness in the playing and a smooth blend to their sound. The strings were again kept very busy and rose to the challenge well. The audience seemed a little less lively than in previous years and it was left to one member who could see the encore music on the stand to try to sustain the applause for Marcus to return and cue the famous trumpet call for the ‘Galop’ which ends the famous ‘Wilhelm Tell’ Overture by Rossini. However, after one uplifting run-through the audience were much more vocal and seemed to relish the repeat of the piece even more. Marcus held something in reserve for this second playing which seemed to have even more rhythmic bite. Amongst the highly accomplished playing I especially enjoyed the work of the percussion and trombone sections and the pizzicato work by the three double-basses, one of whom was Marlon Date Chong, playing in his final School concert.
After the interval the Symphonic Wind Band under Angus Meryon played a very substantial potpourri, ‘South American Holiday’ from which familiar tunes such as the ‘Mexican Hat Dance’ and ‘La Cucaracha’ emerged and combined. The direction was deft and firm, even when the audience added their clapping to the already impressively substantial sound of these young players.
The Concert Band began with a lovely novelty (Anderson again) in which Patrick Cahill was the soloist on sand blocks, rhythmically rubbing and tapping to evoke a soft-shoe shuffle in this ‘Sandpaper Ballet’. A fittingly more intense sound was found for a chorus from ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ and the audience again got a chance to clap along to the famous ‘Radetzky March’ which Bob Wilson directed at quite a lick, driving it on and breathing new life into a very familiar war-horse.
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 The Celidh Band was a special delight and in their final number director and pianist Sophie Langdon and leader Ollie Metcalfe increased the tempo so that ‘Drowsy Maggie’ was well awake and kicking her heels up by the breathless close. As well as the excellent fiddle playing there was the delightful bodhran playing of Nathan Pigott and Phil Lockhart and Tory Sawyer put down her violin to give a magical rendition of the ‘Skye Boat Song’ in her beautiful, rich-toned alto
The Big Band, as usual, provided the climax of the concert with outstanding solo instrumental moments from Ali White, John Sandford, drummer Nathan Pigott, bass-player Tom Lyle and many more in the 20-piece band. There was also a guest appearance from Sara Williams who sang ‘Blue Skies’ confidently and idiomatically and appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the experience. After the fifth number (‘Rock Around the Clock’) we were treated to an encore at the YMCA and a small part of the audience got into the ‘Village’ spirit and did the YMCA gestures. It was sad to see a few empty seats for, if people were staying outside to enjoy one of the first warm evenings of summer, they missed out on even warmer, generous music-making which lifted the spirits. It is extraordinary how many of the pupils play at least one instrument to a very high level and it was a nice touch that Bob Wilson invited two IVth Form players to make their debut to show that the future of the Big Band is in good hands.
PJL
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Published
12 May 2008
- Category
Music
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