For most of my life I’ve been involved with brass bands, as player, conductor and (occasionally) composer. As a player, the pinnacle of my career came early, joining the famous Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band as a second-year music student. I played the baritone horn, a rather obscure though noble saxhorn, often the butt of jokes and considered the ‘viola of the brass band’ by some (although the real connoisseur would know otherwise!).
Banding is essentially an amateur movement, with people from all walks of life working extraordinarily hard and, at the elite level, achieving staggering levels of technical and musical brilliance. Many of the finest bands are located in quite small pockets of the country, meaning that deep connections and friendships are formed. Here at Hillside Harmonies, we love to find a personal connection as we source our stock. It pleased me recently to find my conducting teacher, Philip McCann, a 17 year old soloist on the 1972 Decca ‘Sounds of Brass’ release with the Fairey Band. One LP we’ll be keeping in our collection is another ‘Sounds of Brass’ release with the aforementioned Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band. It was great to see that three players featured on that recording were still playing with the band during my time there in the late 1990s, including the great Ray Sykes, MBE. The development of brass instruments over the last half-century means that many of these older recordings sound somewhat strange to modern ears, and yet there is so much expressive and precise playing to enjoy, with expert musicians having to work really hard to produce a warm, rounded sound.
Although a proud baritone player, I’m as thrilled as any brass enthusiast when listening to a really good soprano cornetist. This is the solo high-wire trapeze act of the brass band, tending to attract a certain type of individual with nerves of steel and a larger-than-life personality (although a laid-back approach works just as well for some). A recent acquisition was “Dedications – the legendary Brian Evans”, a locally-produced CD from 15 years ago and featuring some truly wonderful soprano cornet playing. Evans produces an astonishing tone; lyrical, passionate, warm and never strident, he is ideally suited to the operatic transcriptions on this disc, particularly the Intermezzo from ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’ and the dramatic ‘On with the Motley’ from ‘Pagliacci’. Superb intonation and expansive phrasing allow one to feel totally secure and comfortable, as if riding in a Rolls Royce; the accompanying band (Wingates, conducted by Michael Beevers) certainly help, with a warm sound that sensitively provides a resolute safety net for the stratospheric drama above.
It’s not all about silly uniforms and marching up and down, it is a proud musical tradition with roots that go back to the industrial revolution. We’re based in the heartland of the movement and keep discovering new gems, so If you want to immerse yourself in this wonderful culture, keep checking the dedicated “Brass & Military Band” section in our shop.