Out of This World
The Verwood Concert Brass summer concert held on Saturday 6th July was “Out of this World”.
It was a fantastic and fun event but to claim it was out of this world might be a bit pretentious were it not for the fact that it related to the theme of the concert. It was 50 years ago that man first stepped on the moon so what a great theme for a concert to commemorate such an historic event with music that included TV and film compositions relating to space, science fiction and other worlds or maybe simply had something of that ilk in the title.
As usual the Verwood Training Band opened the concert but with normal conductor, Mike Dunnings, away on holiday, it gave Kevin Smith the opportunity and pleasure to take the band. Demonstrating the versatility of brass bands their first piece was a David Bowie number: “Starman” before moving on to other worlds of “Lord of the Rings”, “A Whole New World’ from Disney’s “Aladdin” and finishing in the underwater world of “The Little Mermaid”.
Now with its regular slot whilst the stage is reset for Verwood Concert Brass Band, the new starter group, the Acorns, played a few pieces under the ever enthusiastic direction of Bill Ferrier. Finding music to fit a theme can be tricky with limited pieces available for new starters but even so their opening number was the aptly named “Rocketship” which culminated in instruments ‘lifting off’. A look at the photo’s helps but with a bit of imagination a cornet really can look like a rocketship! The photo’s also reveal even more have joined the group and that is despite two members having moved up to join the Training Band. Bill is certainly doing something right.
Verwood Concert Brass Band’s first set opened with the recognised liveliness of composer Paul Lovatt-Cooper with his piece “Enter the Galaxies” but by contrast their second piece heard the beautiful tones of principal cornet player, Elaine Close, who played the solo piece “Rusalka’s Song to the Moon” by Dvořák. Of course, a bit of Glenn Miller always goes down well with the audience so amongst the other numbers played was “Moonlight Serenade”.
After the interval, Verwood Town Band, not to be out done by the Training Band also played a David Bowie number, this one being “Life on Mars”. Nor by the Verwood Concert Brass Band, by playing a piece called “Starburst” which, whilst composed by Dan Price, very much emulates the lively style of Paul Lovatt-Cooper. It has to be said that whilst the Town Band players had not been familiar with the sci-fi programme Red Dwarf, conductor Emma Button was pleased to find that many in the audience we familiar with the TV series and indeed the theme tune which was played. However, everyone must have at least of heard of Star Trek if not the theme for “Star Trek Voyager”.
The final set from Verwood Concert Brass Band opened with a brilliant version of the theme tune from the sci-fi puppet show “Stingray” with full on and lively percussion from the front of the stage. This was followed by another great solo performance, this time by principal trombonist, Emma Button, who played the Hoagy Carmichael piece “Starburst”. However, perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening was the trio performance by Ian Harris (euphonium), Trevor White (cornet) and Mike White (bass trombone); not playing their instruments though but singing ‘Moon River’, backed by the band, which was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.
To round off the evening another fantastic piece (literally) was played, it being another Paul Lovatt-Cooper piece called “The Light Fantastic” and the cries of “More” from the audience were met with a reprise of the brilliant “Stingray”.