Conducted by Stephen Bell
Imperial Echoes
James Ord Hume
Originally composed as a piano piece by Arnold Safroni in 1913 it was later adapted into a march by James Ord Hume in 1928. In 1940 the opening and closing parts were used to introduce the BBC’s daily news programme Radio Newsreel. As such it became inextricably associated with the BBC’s output during the war. The theme continued to be used by the BBC in Britain until 1970.
Egmont Overture
Beethoven
Written as the opening piece to the play Egmont, the story follows the heroism of a 16th century Dutch nobleman, the Count of Egmont. Beethoven expressed his own political concerns through the exaltation of the heroic sacrifice of a man condemned to death for having taken a valiant stand against oppression. The Overture later became an unofficial anthem of the 1956 Hungarian revolution.
At Dawn They Slept (December 7, 1941)
Jay Bocook
Jay Bocook is a prolific composer and arranger of concert band music. This musical remembrance pays tribute to fallen heroes of that fateful day at Pearl Harbour that launched the USA into World War II. Opening with a peaceful, flowing woodwind melody, the day is heralded in by a lone bugler. Ominous undertones, powerful scoring, dissonant themes and bombastic percussion capture musically the chaos that followed. It's a powerful musical statement that concludes ultimately on an optimistic note that looks to a brighter future.
Clarinet on the Town
Ralph Hermann
Born in 1914, Ralph’s musical career began at high school and culminated in concerts with famous American bands. From 1954 he also wrote works for concert band.
Originally composed for clarinet and piano ‘Clarinet on the Town’ tonight gets the full band treatment.
A Tribute to Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Arr. Henry Gass
Probably the most popular of all the big band musicians he was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1943.
This small selection of Millers music, arranged by Henry Gass, was published after Glenn Millers aircraft disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel in 1944.
The songs included in this arrangement are:
Tuxedo Junction | Little Brown Jug | Jersey Bounce | American Patrol
I Would That My Love
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 –1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period.
I Would That My Love (Ich wollt’ meine Lieb’), published in 1836, is the first of 6 Duets that make up Opus 63.
Originally scored for two sopranos and piano this arrangement is for two cornets.
A Concert Medley
Henry Mancini
Arr. John Moss
Mancini had a long collaboration with the film director Blake Edwards and won numerous Academy Awards for the songs in Edwards’ films, including “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
This arrangement by John Moss sandwiches the melancholy of Moon River between the cheerful and goofy slices of The Pink Panther and Baby Elephant Walk
INTERVAL
Barnard Castle
Goff Richards
Goff Richards, sometimes credited as Godfrey Richards, was a prominent English brass band arranger and composer.
He was well known for his original brass compositions such as “Trailblaze”, “Doyen”, “Exploding Brass!” and the marches “The Jaguar” and “Barnard Castle”.
He died on 25 June 2011 in Cheshire, following an illness, at the age of 66.
Barnard Castle is a market town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up.
Hoagy Carmichael in Concert
Hoagy Carmichael
Arr. Warren Barker
Born Howard Hoagland Carmichael in 1899, Hoagy is best known for composing the music for “Stardust”, “The Nearness of You”, and “Heart and Soul”, three of the most-recorded American songs of all time and all featured in this selection.
“Heart and Soul” has a simple chord progression that is taught to beginning piano students as an easy two-had duet.
In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening | The Nearness of You | Heart and Soul | Stardust | Lazy River
Alice in Wonderland
Danny Elfman
Arr. Michael Brown
Tim Burton’s 2010 film version of Alice in Wonderland was scored by long-time collaborator Danny Elfman. Most famous for The Simpsons theme Danny has scored for many films including writing the song and providing the singing voice for Jack Skellington in Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas.
Alice Returns | Bandersnatched | Alice’s Theme
Sinatra in Concert
(Various)
Arr. Jerry Nowak
This selection of four songs made famous by Frank Sinatra opens with ‘New York, New York’, originally sung by Liza Minnelli in the 1977 film of the same name that was a box-office flop.
After retiring for the first time in 1971, two years later Frank Sinatra returned to work and recorded several albums and in 1980 had a top 40 hit with the song with slightly different words to the original.
New York, New York | It Was a Very Good Year | The Lady is a Tramp | My Way
Big Bands in Concert
(Various)
Arr. Bob Lowden
This selection of ‘Big Band’ music features music from four greats:
Glen Miller’s A String of Pearls, Duke Ellington’s Satin Doll, Intermission Riff by Ray Wetzel, Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady, and Open One.
A String of Pearls | Satin Doll | Intermission Riff | Sophisticated Lady | Opus One
