The Bandsman Review
Aldbourne Band - Aldbourne Rejoicing
Musical Director: Glyn Williams
A strong opening piece with Overture to Candide arr. Snell, great starter for the CD. Pater Noster is the first of the Solo items, Principal Cornet Richard Hughes is an outstanding cornet player and his lyrical playing suits this piece from Rebecca Lundberg perfectly, what a great solo from a great servant to the band. The CD goes to the big screen next and we get a full on version of The Incredibles arr. Harper, another bright and lively piece that is presented well by the band and a real toe-tapper.
We get our second solo item next, Misty arr. Barry is played quite beautifully by the bands flugelhorn player Cerys Mair Hughes. This is a very indulgent piece of music and smooth as silk, what delightful presentation of this lovely piece. Hats off to the accompaniment for giving the soloist space, Cerys really makes the most of it and what an outstanding sound and style, delightful. The Cowboys Overture arr. Sykes comes next, an enjoyable piece and a good listen, not one I have gone back to on the CD very often, it’s a 9 minute piece with plenty of variation just didn’t have enough to make me want to go back for another listen. One Day in Your Life arr. Barry, A tenor horn solo from Hayley Beynon, smooth and very laid back, it sounds so easy, so effortless, just what you want from such a beautiful piece of music. Nice
A big opening to Let’s Face the Music and Dance arr. Richards, no holding back on tempo here, moving along nicely and the band are clearly enjoying this. All I Ask of You arr. Mowat is the next Solo item for Principal Trombone Robert Marsh, a great piece and a well delivered solo, for me it just feels a little rushed, I would have liked to hear it slightly down on tempo. The playing is top class and the range superb, a great addition to the CD.
Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra arr. Woude – a fun and lively piece, not one I had heard before, enjoyable listen. Elephant Patrol from Philip Harper is next up and a piece heard a few times by Cory, a good piece and great fun, needs to be seen and heard to get the full effect, but you get a good flavour of it here. A Euphonium Solo from Danny Jones is the final Solo on the CD, Shylock Polka Brilliante arr. Griffiths is well worth the wait, outstanding work from the soloist, acrobatics but every note is heard and it comes across very well. This is one I would like to hear being played live to get the full impact of the work involved from the soloist. Bravo
Philip Harpers Explorers on the Moon: The Journey Home is the last of the pieces recorded for the CD, it is a great ending and is very well presented by the band . The final recording on the CD comes from the bands 2022 British Open performance of The World Rejoicing, a great piece from Edward Gregson. A contest where the band were placed 3rd and without doubt a highlight of the bands long and illustrious history. This performance is worth the cost of the CD by itself.
Here is some of what I wrote on the day:
Band Number 7 – Aldbourne
A well-considered opening, moving together and well balanced. Well controlled quieter dynamic and balance is maintained.
Control is the word that comes to mind, everything is under control and being well executed, no fireworks, a strong and steady performance. Very much a sit back and enjoy performance, a considered performance and some really great moments.
In summary the CD is a great listen, it has been in the car, on my phone and playing on the speakers around the house, some of the tracks are stop and listen tracks and some are go about your day with a skip in your step tracks. Overall a CD that has been well thought out and would be a great Christmas Present for a banding enthusiast. Well done Dabchicks.
To purchase your copy head to New CD Release – Aldbourne Band
