Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

We are privileged to have some excellent brass bands here in the UK, the Black Dyke Band being one of the oldest and best, with roots going all the way back to 1816. The CD insert states, "The band is relentless in its quest to perform music of the highest possible standard..." and we have here the premiere recordings of four new works composed by Philip Wilby. Philip is a Bristol-based composer who previously served as senior tutor in composition at Leeds University, having originally been encouraged to take up composition by Herbert Howells, one of my favourite British organ/choral composers. The first work on the CD is the three-movement "Red Priest", commissioned for the band's performance in Linz in the 2010 European Brass Band Championships. The red priest in question is Vivaldi, "who was known as this due to his youthful ordination and his flaming red hair." The piece is largely inspired by Vivaldi's Concerti Grossi, wherein the soloist with the orchestra is a small group rather than a single player, and Philip also intends that the images the music suggests have clear associations with Venetian locations. The second work on the CD is simply entitled "Concertpiece" and is in effect a euphonium concertino, a single piece comprising three movements played without pause. The third work, "Wondrous Cross", was originally composed as a vocal setting of Isaac Watts' hymn "When I Survey" and this brass band version was created for the Enfield Citadel Band of The Salvation Army. It is highly moving in this form, with all the emotiveness of a film score. The fourth and final work on the CD is a highly adventurous undertaking, entitled "A Bronte Mass", in which words from the traditional Latin Mass have been combined with a poem written by each of the four Bronte children, along with brass band, organ and harp. The result is quite special; beautifully rich, close vocal harmonies coupled with the warmth and strength of the brass, and it is here that the added-note harmony influence of Howells can most be heard. I cannot emphasise enough how good the performances are; from the band, the Bach Choir, instrumental soloists and the baritone soloist David Thornton. Technical excellence and bombast are coupled with tenderness and poise throughout. If I had to pick highlights I would choose the plaintive "A Prayer" nestling in the middle of the "Bronte Mass" in which the choir, accompanied by a solo cornet, prays for divine strength. Another would be the fugue in "Red Priest" in which the band perform the technical demands of the fugue with perfection, ending with huge final chords that blast you out of your chair. The final "Gloria" would have to be the third, with its spine-tingling crescendos of rich "angel song" harmony coupled with joyful celebratory fanfares. An unusual musical blend coupled with superlative musicianship makes for a stunning release.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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