NEW YEAR'S CONCERT

IGNORE the weather and think Vienna . Central Europeans might be just as frozen as we are, but for warming the spirits you can’t beat those waltzes, polkas and marches of the Austrian capital’s golden age, which this popular band performed in splendidly polished brass style, led by their top brass, Royal Signals conductor Captain David Barringer.

While this was the band’s 14th New Year visit to Christchurch, the civilian-dressed Captain was making his debut, but his engaging humour, along with his promise to return in full regimental uniform ensures his summer concert is already a winner.

Along with a the vibrant overture to Cosi Fan Tutti, Mozart’s vast output provided solos from Exultate Jubilate for Alfie Hughes on cornet, the Romance from his Second Horn Concerto for Rachel Bartlett and from the adagio from the Clarinet Concerto, with Stephen Didcott splendidly lowering the tone on a substitute euphonium.

There was a galloping Pique Dame overture from Von Suppe and Franz Lehar was represented by his Gold and Silver Waltz. And if they forgot to include Johann Strauss’ most popular numbers in the programme, well that ever Blue Danube and the redoubtable Colonel Radezky made for a perfect Viennese encore.

Reviewer: Ray O’Luby

Top Brass’s Strauss Relief

FORGET it all at the Ball in Old Vienna. If the year ahead doesn’t look too bright then this full house new year concert was undoubtedly most welcome – that spirit-raising champagned sparkle of Johann Strauss II and co’s music, brought majestically to life by Bournemouth’s champion class Concert Brass.

We could not , though, escape reality completely with amiable conductor Jonathan Camps’ jokes including floundering merchant bankers, and a despairing Gordon Brown, before wishing us a prosperous new year still, hopefully, owning our home at the end of it – at which we all laughed, nervously.

Apart from Marche Lorrraine by Frenchman Louis Ganne and Italian Ennio Morricone’s theme from The Mission proving a poignant euphonium solo from Stephen Didcott, the programme was an all-Austrian affair.

Among Mozart’s contributions were the foreboding overture to Don Giovanni – fitting for 2009 perhaps – and the more cheerful first movement from his Horn Concerto No2 played by John Kidby.

Schubert was represented by his jaunty Marche Millitaire. From the house of Strauss we had Josef’s Fireworks Polka, Eduard’s steam-engine inspired, Bahn Frei Polka, and among Johann’s 11 timeless classics the Emperor Waltz, the unmatchable Blue Danube and finally Colonel Radetzky’s March guaranteed an exuberant hand clapping send off.  

Reviewer: Ray O’Luby

BCB gave their 13^th ‘New Year’ concert to a packed Regent Centre Theatre on Sunday 10 January 2009. Many concertgoers were left outside in the cold, having left it too late to purchase tickets.

Those that were fortunate to be in the warm theatre were ready to be entertained with many Viennese favourites.

The concert follows the ‘Viennese New Year Concert’ format with music from those composers most associated with Vienna, such as Mozart, Schubert and of course the Strauss family.

Under the direction of Jonathan Camps the band played some well known and some not so well known Viennese items including, from Mozart, the overture to Don Giovanni, Horn No.2 – (Flugel Horn Solo), Schubert’s Marche Militaire, and from

The Strauss family, Champagne Polka, Feurfest Polka, Emperor Waltz, The Blue Danube plus many others.

The band is fortunate to have a number of arrangers associated with them and some of the arrangements were being heard for the first time.

Two non-Viennese items were also performed, those being Loius Ganne’s Marche Lorraine, and the theme from the film The Mission - Gabriel’s Oboe played as a Euphonium solo by Stephen Didcott.

Reviewer: Harding

BCB gave their annual Christmas concert in conjunction with the Vitalise charity for the second year running.

Vitalise is a charity providing short breaks, respite care and other essential services for disabled people, visually impaired people, and carers.

The band gave their services for free ensuring that Vitalise were able to generate maximum income.

The band on this occasion were conducted by Roland Wright and he guided the band through many established favourites such as the march Christmas Joy, White Christmas and The Christmas Song, together with newer arrangements such as O Little Town (Cornet solo – Joel Heys), a big band arrangement of Good King Wenceslas called Cool Yule, finishing with a selection entitled Santa Claustrophobia.

The audience were able to join in singing with a number of carols and some even tried their hand at dancing to some of the more upbeat items!

The band is please to be associated with this Charity and plans are already in place for next year’s concert.

Reviewer: Harding

Spirited Brass

SPIRITEDLY proving that strings aren't actually essential to play Johann Strauss, this popular local band were back in Christchurch for their 12th New Year's concert, whirling us off to the winter warming ballroom magic of Old World Vienna.

And once again the proceedings were directed by Royal Marine Lt Col Chris Davis, OBE - Top Brass right down to his spurs - but engagingly fond of down to earth jokes too.

The few non-Strauss Viennese favourites included Franz Lehar's, Girls Were Made To Love And Kiss, performed on the trombone by Peter Harley, Mozart's vibrant overture to The Marriage of Figaro, and his Kyrie from the Great Mass, with a compelling euphonium solo from Stephen Didcott.

The rest was a splendid selection of polkas, mazurkas, marches and of course, waltzes, from the king himself, who, on a visit to London even put his own arrangements to the music hall hits, Champagne Charlie, and That Daring Young Man On The Flying Trapeze.

To finish there was an exuberant, James Last swing-style Trish Trash Polka before waltzing down that ever Blue Danube and the audience heartily handclapping the band off with the redoubtable Radetzky March.

Reviewer: Ray O’Luby

Marine puts Strauss in Order

IF it's the New Year it must be Old Vienna - a policy that's certainly served this company well over the last 11 years, filling the Regent once again and sweeping us along into 2007 in splendid Strauss Family and fellow Viennese Maestros style.

And who better to conduct the proceedings than a true Top Brass Conductor - Royal Marine Lt Col Chris Davis, OBE, no less, looking highly impressive in full dress including spurs, but possessing an engaging sense of humour, even when, after coming on, his spurs immediately fell off.

Along with the Blue Danube, and Col Radetzky, which were saved for the guaranteed encore, the Strauss selections showed a virtually unlimited range of inspirations. There was the Egyptian March, the Czech Polka, the Cuckoo Polka, and Morning Papers Waltz - the latter instantly composed after a newspaper criticism of Johann Strauss II for being a money-making instant tunesmith.

Other Chandelier Classics included Lehar's Gold and Silver waltz, Mozart's vibrant Magic Flute Overture, Schubert's Serenade providing a lovely euphonium solo for Stephen Didcott, and a glorious galloping Poet and Peasant Overture by Suppé - and not forgetting the bands tribute to their hosts - the Regent Waltz from their very own "Honorary Austrian" wunderbar brass king, Peter Hartley.

Reviewer: Ray O’Luby

BCB held their annual round of Viennese concerts during January.

The band has only performed in Blandford and Wimborne on two occasions and is gradually building an audience following in these towns. They hope to create what they have achieved in Christchurch where they were performing the Viennese concert for the 11^th year in succession and to a sell out Theatre for the 7^th year running.

The band was conducted by Lt. Colonel Chris Davis OBE and together they captured the required style. Chris is an able compere and the audiences responded well to him.

The programme followed the traditional format, ending with The Blue Danube (Strauss Junior) and Radetsky March (Strauss Senior).

Apart from Strauss, the programme also contained music from other composers who plied their trade in Vienna including, Mozart (Magic Flute overture), Schubert (Serenade), Lehar (Gold and Silver waltz) Fucik (Children of the Regiment) and von Suppe (Poet and Peasant overture).

This provided the audience with a wide range of styles.

Two of the band’s arrangers (Dr. Peter Hartley and Bill Willis) regularly produce arrangements for these concerts and they were both represented in the programme this time round.

The band performed a ‘new’ polka (Regent Polka) written by Dr. Hartley in a Strauss style. This was written as a thank you to the proprietors of the Regent Theatre who have encouraged and assisted the band in developing this concert theme.

The band’s soloists on show were Stephen Didcott (Euphonium) who gave a delightful rendition of Schubert’s Serenade, and Steve Roland (Cuckoo whistle!) who was equally up to the task in the polka Im Krapdenwald’l.

The full programme was as follows: 

THE MAGIC FLUTE – Mozart arr Michael Kenyon
GOLD & SILVER - Lehar
CZECH POLKA – Strauss arr Frank Wright
SERENADE - Euphonium Solo – Schubert arr Bill Willis
EGYPTIAN MARCH - Strauss arr Bill Willis
FURIOSO POLKA - Strauss arr Bill Willis

POET AND PEASANT – von Suppe arr George Hawkins
IM KRAPDENWALD'L  - Strauss arr Peter Hartley
MORNING PAPERS - Strauss arr Edrich Siebert
CHILDREN OF THE REGIMENT - Fucik
REGENT POLKA - Peter Hartley
BLUE DANUBE - Strauss (Jnr.)
RADETZKY MARCH - Strauss (Snr.) arr Pat Ryan

Reviewer: Harding

BCB held their Annual Christmas Concert at the Mowlem Theatre, Swanage.

Conducted by Bill Willis, the band featured standard Christmas repertoire such as White Christmas, The Christmas Song, Il Est Ne, Troika and A Christmas Festival, together with some newer arrangements of Away in a Manger and Let it Snow and a new march Christmas Cavalcade.

The soloists on show were Sarah Evans (Euphonium) who gave a superb rendition of 'O Holy Night', and Richard Curren (Trombone) who starred in a new arrangement of the Sinatra classic ‘Fly Me To The Moon’.

The audience were very receptive and in fine voice singing a number of carols, and laughing with, (at??) the conductor as he relayed some Christmas stories!

The full programme was:

CHRISTMAS CAVALCADE – March - Bill Willis
CHRISTMAS SONG, The – Torme/Wells arr. Philip Sparke
FLY ME TO THE MOON – Howard arr Bill Willis
AWAY IN A MANGER – Bill Willis
IL EST NE – Kevin Norbury
SHINING STAR The – March - Peter Graham
TROIKA – Prokofiev arr. Ray Farr
LET IT SNOW! – arr Bill Willis
O HOLY NIGHT – Adam arr Keith Wilkinson
WHITE CHRISTMAS – Berlin arr Philip Sparke
CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL, A – Leroy Anderson
CHRISTMAS JOY – March - Erik Leidzen
WE WISH YOU A MERRY – Bill Willis

Reviewer: Harding