Strictly Brass
The upbeat and catchy Let's Face the Music and Dance by Irving Berlin was the keynote to King's Park Brass's annual concert in Rutherglen Town Hall, beginning a marvellous evening of music dedicated to the world of dance.
In contrast, Four Renaissance Dances changed the mood and timeframe of the music to a very structured and tightly arranged medieval dance suite, played with unfailing lightness of touch.
Next the tempo slowed to that well known Frank Sinatra bluesy feeling I've got you under my skin, featuring Scott Law on Flugel Horn. You could almost see Frank's rakishly angled hat, waistcoat and undone bow tie!
The first half concluded with a five part suite entitled Cry of the Celts featuring Lynsey Philp on Tenor Horn and Donald Orr and Gemma Collins on Euphonium. This rousing work was a mixture of the frankly discordant Nightmare, the haunting and moving Suil a Ruin and Lament and, finally, the triumphant Lord of the Dance.
Part two again began with an Irving Berlin composition, Putting on the Ritz getting the audience's feet tapping once more, to be followed by Ravel's Bolero - a complete contrast in mood, style and tempo. The familiar melody, so long associated with the ice dancing of Torvil and Dean, began quietly on only two instruments, gradually but inexorably building up to a crescendo of sound and emotion, leaving both band and audience elated by the experience.
The tempo then stepped up once again in the Ritual Fire Dance - again rising to a memorable climax - swiftly followed by that icon of the 60's Let's Twist Again. Two more fairly contemporary numbers, Van McCoy's The Hustle (in which some audience vocal participation was encouraged by conductor Chris Bradley) and the Bee Gees' Tragedy kept the feet tapping, and when the band played the final number Skirl, the audience let themselves go with the band and whooped, whistled and sang along with the medley of traditional Scottish favourites.
It was a truly enjoyable evening full of contrasting musical styles and tempos, and with some fairly challenging material which the band handled admirably.
With the encore The Floral Dance on everyone's lips as they left the hall, King's Park Brass's Strictly Brass could justifiably be described as a wonderful tribute to the world of dance.
15/12/09
