West Lothian Schools Brass Band, 14th January 2006.
Brass wind instruments have an innate power to rouse, to stimulate. This can be controlled to produce different emotional effects, as several items in the programme demonstrated: but when this innate quality is carefully deployed in fourteen pieces of music mostly composed in the 20th century and performed by young and talented players, terms such as "fascinating","invigorating", and even "electrifying", come to mind. No wonder that the large audience in St Michael's Kirk rose to deliver a standing ovation.
Eight of the works had been set by various arrangers. Of course, a work composed for, say, strings and woodwinds must be rewritten for performance by brass. But on comparing the arrangements of certain items with their originals, one began to wonder about the intentions of the arrangers: did they always set out to improve upon the originals, as well as transcribing one instrument's music for another's? Improvement was certainly obvious in some cases, noted below.
The opening work, ’Valero“, was a rousing composition of Mexican melodies and rhythms, with impressive work from the trumpets. A real mood-lifter of a start. This was followed by one of the above-mentioned improvements: Alan Fernie's arrangement of Lennon and McArtney's well-known 'Ticket to Ride“. This is not to denigrate the Beatles' musical abilities, but objectively compared as works of music, Fernie's arrangement is in a different class. His rendering of a steam railway engine starting and stopping was something to marvel, (and to smile) at. The third work, a suite from the background music to the famous film ’Braveheart“, was a remarkable demonstration of what brass is capable of in the matter of conveying atmosphere: a rather minatory opening trumpet solo led into battle scenes with a tremendous performance, especially in their timing, from the percussion, concluding with an emotive, elegiac, post-battle passage. A soothing contrast followed with extracts from Gordon Langford's Rhapsody for Trombone“, a piece which, with its fusion of syncopation and lyrical lushness, catches the essence of mid-20th-century big-dance-band style: beautifully played by trombonist Jonathan Young. Next came an interesting arrangement of a well-known work, one of Erik Satie's ’Gymnopã´dies“. The arranger, Adrian Drover, has caught, in this piece, Satie's appreciation of the new music appearing in his time: the ’Gymnopã´dies“ were composed in the 1890s.
To describe the next work, Harry Belafonte's Christmas hymn ’Mary's Boy Child“, as moving and impressive would be an understatement. As this was an unannounced addition to the progamme, the arranger's identity is at present unknown, a pity, for this is a case where "improvement" comes to mind - but that is not quite the correct term. Belafonte's original is itself perfection; the arranger has simply added the power of brass to the refrain. Many of the audience might well consider this composition as the top of the evening's programme.
Then an intriguing composition by the contemporary Norwegian composer Oystein Baadsvik, ’Fnugg Blue“, where a folk-melody is given over to a solo tuba and very modern treatment - a solid beat and a very "blues" interpretation of the original: all enjoyable, with admirable playing from the young soloist Ben Millar. The first half of the programme ended with ’The Children of Sanchez“, an arrangement of the film's soundtrack. As in the opening item, Mexican and lively, yet quite different in emotional content, yearning and compassion coming through: but similar in the performance of the trumpets, especially in the solo work from the band's leader Vicky Blair.
The second half of the programme began with an arrangement of the opening music of the TV series ’Friends“. Recognisable and popular, and for these reasons probably worth inclusion: but there are those who would claim that any arrangement of this piece cannot fail to be an improvement. Leroy Anderson's ’Serenata“ followed, very Spanish, very lively, all sections of the band fully engaged, preceding a massive contrast in mood and cultural origin with Anthony Swainson's arrangement of the ’Eriskay Love Lilt“. The performance of this never-fail melody was another demonstration of the range of brass in the matter of emotional tone, never mind the balance of instruments achieved by the arranger; and there was another noteworthy solo trumpet.
Next, Bruce Fraser's ’Sun“, and we were informed that this was the first setting for brass band of an essay in fusing African and Celtic music. So we listened very attentively. African influence first, the importance of the drum in Africa being taken up by the percussion, then the Celtic coming in with a lament, a beautiful euphonium solo by Isla Cameron, with a concluding, and curiously formal, interweaving of both themes. Overall, a tricky and attractive composition, masterfully handled.
Then Alan Fernie's arrangement of Lew Pollack's ’That's a Plenty“, identified as Dixieland music, and genuine Dixieland it was! Those familiar with the genre would certainly recognise the rhythms - and the employment of the tuba - in this vigorous and enjoyable piece.
For the finale, another arrangement by Fernie, this time of Vangelis's ’The Conquest of Paradise“, not a work to discuss in a few lines since there is so much in it. Perhaps enough to say that it once more gave the band the opportunity to show the range of music that brass is capable of, and most absorbing that was: the deep rumblings of the opening resolving into clear melody, with delicate promises (these ultimately fulfilled), a powerful underlying rhythm throughout set against the melodic variations with the basic melody never abandoned. An affecting composition and a fitting conclusion.
The standing ovation was such that the band was compelled to to provide not one, but three, encores: "Putting on the Ritz", "Gabriel's Oboe” and "Birdland".
There is no difficulty in understanding why West Lothian Schools Brass Band are, for the third successive year, and for the ninth time in total, National Youth Brass Band Champions of Britain; the current European Youth Band Champions; and the Scottish Youth Brass Band Champions of 2005.
And we must never forget that all this is due to the industry and ability of one person, their long-serving conductor Nigel Boddice, MBE.
