Concert Report
A Report from the MD.
The band’s annual Children in Need concert took place on Saturday 18 November and raised £500 for the charity. A well attended event with a lively and appreciative audience, it featured some fine solo playing from the principal players as well as some excellent ensemble work from the band.
The programme for the evening opened with Curnow’s exciting Fanfare and Flourishes and the first half continued with Pop Goes the Canon – a novel arrangement of the Pachelbel Canon.
Principal cornet Sharon Pond, back playing after a prolonged absence through illness produced a lovely reading of ‘Share my Yolk’ in a surprise addition to the programme. Flugel soloist Chris Cannings gave a fine performance of ‘The Folks Who Live on the Hill’ as did David Newsom with his rendition of the euphonium solo ‘Benedictus’ from Karl Jenkins’ ‘The Armed Man’.
Another soloist to get in on the act was Alan Smithers who as usual, made a lovely sound on horn with ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’.
The first half of the concert ended on a high note (literally) with William Himes’ Three King’s Swing featuring an adlib solo on cornet from Bob Turner. The video clips of Alan and Bobs solo performances can be seen under the Clips Tab.
The second half of the concert opened with Breezin’ Down Broadway and again spotlighted several of the band’s corner players with EEb Tuba soloist Geoff Collins entertaining the audience playing Tuba Smarties whilst Colin Batt’s relaxed sound fully complemented the style of his chosen solo ‘When I Walk Alone’.
The concert came to a rousing finale with the Robbie Williams selection Let Me entertain You followed by two up tempo numbers – Let There Be Praise and Everybody Needs Somebody.
The concert also featured musical ensembles from two local schools namely Hawkhurst and Lamberhurst Primary schools. The children performed at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second.
Programme
The full programme is listed below:
First Half
- Fanfare and Flourishes
- Pop Goes The Canon
- Benedictus from The Armed Man
- Light As Air
- The Folks Who Live On The Hill
- He Ain’t Heavy
- Three King’s Swing
Second Half
- Breezin’Down Broadway
- When I Walk Alone
- Miller Magic
- Tuba Smarties
- Let Me Entertain You
- Let There Be Praise
- Everybody Needs Somebody