Now that's what I call Brass!

18-Dec-2009

Everyone likes a selection box of tasty goodies at Christmas, even if there are a few bits you'd rather give to the cat...

~ Buy with 4barsrest shopping

Various bands and conductors
WOB 144CD
Total Playing Time: Double CD: 73.12/69.46

Volume 7 of the World of Brass compendium of back catalogue musical memories comes with 23 tracks from 2008-2009, and is another enjoyable pick and mix double CD selection box.

Kellogg's Variety Pack

If you are either the type of a technophobe who cannot work out how to get tracks onto their i-pod, or just plain gloriously old fashioned enough to insist on getting your favourites tunes brought to you in the equivalent of a Kellogg’s variety cereal pack, then there is plenty to enjoy, even if the rest of the world (and even the producers of this CD) has moved onto embracing the internet download generation.

For the time being though (and perhaps for a few more years to come) there are 21 different varieties to enjoy too on this double CD release – from test pieces to solos, quartets to Salvationist bands.

Cup of tea

Some may not be your particular cup of tea, whilst others will raise a quizzical eyebrow or two with their inclusion, but that is the intriguing joy of such a release – it’s like picking your top 10 rugby union outside halves or the best ever brass band cornet section.

What you get then is the great and good, the slightly odd and obscure (to some but not others of course), the slick and polished to the worthy and enthusiastic.

Cheap and cheerful

It’s cheap and cheerfully put together (there are no sleeve notes – just a list of the original recordings) but serves its purpose well enough.

You can’t really complain too much given that you have the opportunity to listen to Foden’s, Black Dyke, Cory, Stavanger, Eminence Brass, ISB, Fairey, Leyland the Household Troops and Sunderland Monkwearmouth Band – not to mention Katrina Marzella, Bert Van Thienen, Russell Gray, Ingvild Rosenberg and Owen Farr too.

£13.95 isn’t bad value for money either given that the download prices for the items are odd to say the least.

Volume 8 will be with us all too soon.

Iwan Fox

What's on this CD?

Disc 1
1. Walking With Heroes, Paul Lovatt-Cooper, Black Dyke Band, 3.41
2. Variations on a Ninth, Gilbert Vinter Foden's Band, 14.13
3. Luck be a Lady, Frank Loesser arr. Sandy Smith, Black Dyke Band, 4.30
4. Branwen, Cai Isfryn, Bert Van Thienen (Soprano Cornet) with Cory Band, 2.24
5. Deep River, William Broughton, Household Troops Band, 3.35
6. Pictures in the Smoke, Bramwell Tovey, Bramwell Tovey (Pianoforte) with Fodens Band, 15.36
7. Elves' Dance, David Popper arr. Andrew Duncan, Katrina Marzella (Baritone) with Leyland Band, 3.26
8. Concertino for Brass Band, Kenneth Downie Black Dyke Band, 14.31
9. Light-bringer Martin Cordner, Sunderland Monkwearmouth Band, 3.45
10. Prelude on Three Welsh Hymn Tunes, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Cory Band, 6.43

Disc 2
1. Swinging Matilda arr. Philip Wilby, Black Dyke Band, 3.14
2. Sound Out The Proclamation, Eric Ball, The International Staff Band of The Salvation Army, 6.17
3. Air Varie sur le petit Suisse, Jean Baptiste Arban arr. Gary Westwood, Russell Gray (Cornet) with Leyland Band, 8.42
4. Jabulani, Joseph Shabalala arr. Robin Dewhurst, Ingvild Rosenberg (Bass Trombone) with Stavanger Brass Band, 3.38
5. Elegy and Rondo, Gilbert Vinter, Eminence Brass, 8.36
6. Piazzolatino��Astor Piazzolla, arr. Dirk Van Haegenberghe, Belgian Brass, 8.53
7. Wisbech Citadel, Albert Gay, Black Dyke Band, 3.55
8. Capricorno, Philip Sparke, Owen Farr (Tenor Horn) with Cory Band, 6.53
9. La Cumparsita, Gerardo Matos Rodriguez arr. Robin Dewhurst, Stavanger Brass Band, 3.35
10. Salute to Youth, Gilbert Vinter, Williams Fairey Band, 11.50
11. Men of Harlech, Trad arr. Gareth Wood, Cory Band, 3.28