To kick off the new Autumn season, the band held another fundraising concert on Sunday 2nd September 2007. The theme for this event was an evening of music from the movies.
In line with this theme, there was popcorn and hot dogs available to add to the atmosphere of the movie night, along with the more conventional tea, coffee and cakes.
The music was of a very high standard including old favourites like Benedictus (from The Armed Man) by Karl Jenkins, Soul Bossa Nova of Austin Powers fame, written by Quincy Jones and arranged for brass band by Andy Duncan, music from Rocky - Gonna Fly Now written by Bill Conti and arranged by Alan Fernie and Mission Impossible written by Lalo Schifrin, again arranged by Alan Fernie.
Missing from the band’s normal line up was the soprano cornet player Euan Grant, who was having an extended holiday, with Nigel’s permission of course! In his place we had the very talented Steve Stewart from the current Scottish Champions, the Kirkintilloch Band. It fell to Steve to set aside his cornet and take up the Flugel to play the solo in the Children of Sanchez, by Chuck Mangione. Steve’s excellent playing was very evident, and very much appreciated throughout the evening’s programme.
The evening also featured the debut of the band’s latest (and youngest) cornet player. Rachel Downs, sister of the band’s principal cornet Susannah, was introduced to the audience - who’ll be playing Mary’s Boy Child at the Christmas Concert then?
Another favourite piece which we were treated to that evening was Hymn to the Fallen from the film Saving Private Ryan, written by John Williams. But the high point of the evening for me was the band’s performance of the Braveheart Suite, by James Horner and arranged by Andrew Duncan.
But the band left the best to last, and their encore of soundtrack highlights from the Pirates of the Caribbean was a wonderful end to an great evenings entertainment.
It was a successful evening in other ways also. The bands funds benefited from the generosity of the almost capacity audience, and numerous members of the audience benefited by winning prizes in the raffle. So, all in all, it was a very successful first concert of the season.
