SOMEWHERE OUT THERE - Building and Brass CD – William Davis Construction Group Band

Details

Description

Building and Brass CD – William Davis Construction Group Band
Conducted by Dr. Keith Wilkinson
Keith Wilkinson first attracted attention in the band movement as a euphonium player being, for a period, principal euphonium of the National Youth Brass Band. He began conducting brass bands whilst still a student and has been involved in the cut-and-thrust of Championship section banding since 1978. He enjoyed notable successes with the GUS Band before moving to William Davis in 1986. His arrival signaled the start of the most successful period in the band's history.

Keith's skill as an arranger is well noted in the Brass Band movement with his works featuring frequently on concert programmes. He is regularly in demand to appear as a guest conductor and to adjudicate both in the United Kingdom and abroad. The early months of 1995 have seen him include visits to Denmark and Switzerland in his busy schedule.

Personnel

PHIL SYMONDS - Soprano Comet
BOB BAGGOTT - Principal Cornet
STEVE WAY - Solo Cornet
MARCUS PAIN - Solo Cornet
HELEN BOYLES - Solo Cornet
DAVID LEA - Solo Cornet
GRAHAM SHAW - Repiano
MARTIN AVILL - 2nd Cornet
MARK LAYEN - 2nd Cornet
STEVE YOUNG - 3rd Cornet
ADRIAN BERESFORD - 3rd Cornet
RUTH FENNER - Flugel Horn
ROBERT ALLEN - Solo Horn
MARK ALLEN - 1st Horn
MADE LINE ELEY - 2nd Horn
VAUGHAN BOWER - 1st Baritone
DAVE MANN - 2nd Baritone
KEVIN LEA - 1st Trombone
DARREN WEBSTER - 2nd Trombone
MIKE NEWING - Bass Trombone
SIÔN HATHAWAY - Solo Euphonium
ROB HUNT - 2nd Euphonium
IAN LOVELL - Eb Bass
ALAN INGLIS - Eb Bass
JOHN FARMER - Bb Basses
JONATHAN MOTT - Bb Basses
MICK GODBER - Percussion
ALUN HATHAWAY - Percussion
HELEN ROWE - Percussion

Recording Location: BBC Pebble Mill Studio 1
8th & 9th April 1995
Producer: Bob McDowall
Balance Engineer: Chris Reeley
Digital Editor: Bob McDowall Snr.
Design: Helen Rowe

Programme
1. MANHATTAN Leidzen
2. CANTO RELIGIOSO - Curnow
Solo Comet: Bob Baggott
3. JOSHUA FIGHT THE BATTLE OF JERICHO arr Fernie
4. EPISODE Graham
Solo Tenor Horn: Robert Allen
5. GREENSLEEVES arr Langford
6. A DISNEY FANTASY arr Richards
7. LORD OF THE DANCE arr Wilby
8. HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW arr Bulla
Solo Flugel Horn: Ruth Fenner
9. VICTORY FOR ME! arr Heaton
10. HOME ON THE RANGE Leidzen
Solo Euphonium: Siôn Hathaway
11. SOMEWHERE OUT THERE Homer, Mann & Weill arr Barry
12. A PITTSBURGH OVERTURE Sparke

Sleeve Notes:
1995 is a very significant year for the building and brass band worlds of the William Davis organization for it marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of William Davis Ltd. and also the 25th anniversary of the Company's sponsorship of the William Davis Construction Group Band.
William Davis Ltd. first became associated with the Band in 1970 when the Band was known as the Snibston Colliery Band. At this time the Band was in its infancy in the Championship Section, having been promoted into banding's premier league only the previous year. The Band is now amongst the leaders of the brass band movement and owes a great deal to the Company for its enthusiastic interest and support over the following 25 years.
The Band's most recent contest successes include six Midland Area Championship wins since 1988 and a convincing win against strong opposition in the 1993 Grand Shield Contest. The William Davis Construction Group Band enjoys a fine reputation as a concert band and is looking forward to its second tour of Switzerland later in this anniversary year. It is this aspect of the Band's activities which is highlighted in this recording - the chosen repertoire being typical of the music heard in the Band's many concerts.
The "pillars" of this particular programme are Goff Richard's scintillating arrangement of music from the Disney movies and Philip Sparke's work dedicated to his friends in the Pittsburgh-based River City Brass Band. In featuring four of the Band's talented array of soloists we are able to present a wide variety of styles of solo-writing. Two very different settings of gospel melodies by James Curnow and Stephen Bulla are included as well as Peter Graham's tour deforce for tenor horn and the more traditional theme and variation solo by Erik Leidzen.
Leidzen's Manhattan March provides an energetic start to the programme. Gordon Langford's arrangement of the traditional Greensleeves and Wilfred Heaton's treatment of an old Salvation Army chorus were published in the 1970's, although the latter was well ahead of its time and must have been quite a shock to Salvationist ears of the period. Alan Fernie provides a setting of the spiritual describing how the walls of Jericho succumbed to the enthusiastic blowing of trumpets (presumably not the refined sounds of a band like William Davis!). Philip Wilby gives an exhilarating seascape treatment of Lord of the Dance and Darrol Barry provides us with a pleasing arrangement of that charming melody, Somewhere Out There. All are fine if very different examples of the skills of the present-day arranger.