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The 4BR Spotify Playlist No. 1
Classic Black Dyke Mills

4BR launches a new feature to enjoy — starting with classic tracks from the era of Black Dyke Mills Band.

Spotify

4BR is launching an exciting new addition to our regular features with our very own ‘Spotify Playlist’ of bands and artists in performance for you to enjoy.

We will be featuring selections of our own, as well as from guests, and explaining why the tracks have been chosen.

To kick things off, classic tracks from those on Spotify from the most famous brass band in the world – and from a time when they were still called Black Dyke Mills. 

Note: You will need a Spotify account to listen to the full tracks. Not a Spotify user? Sign up for a FREE account.

Playlist link: Classic Black Dyke Mills

Our choices

Some will be familiar - some not – depending on your age and your LP or CD collection. ‘Queensbury’ might well be the most famous signature march in the banding world, but it is still surprising to hear the way in which it has been interpreted by the band’s MDs and players over the eras. 

Then there is a chance to hear how test-pieces and ‘selections’ used to be played; with Frank Wright’s famous arrangement of ‘Benvenuto Cellini’, on which the band won the World Championship title with in 1970, and ‘Nabucodonosor’ - a standard of many a bandstand concert programme of the 1960s and 70s. 

With the debate about the quality of test-piece selections currently raging, we also get a timely reminder of the beauty (and inherent difficulties) of ‘Variations for Brass Band’ by Vaughan Williams, the much under-rated ‘Sinfonietta for Brass Band’ by Gordon Langford, and the almost criminally ignored ‘Symphonic Music’ by Paul Huber.

Black Dyke Mills has had its fair share of iconic soloists over the years - none more so than James Shepherd and Philip McCann. Both can be enjoyed in their pomp with ‘Napoli’ and ‘The Maids of Cadiz’ respectively, whilst the stylistic mark Don Lusher made on the modern generation of trombonists can be heard with a sublime performance of Langford’s ‘Rhapsody for Trombone’.

And to add just a tasty bit of ubiquitous contrast - ‘Cornet Carillon’ and Faure’s ‘Pavane’: Reminders of an age when not everything had to be crash, bang, wallop to make a musical impression on the mind...



Regent Hall Concerts - The Band of the Irish Guards

Thursday 2 October • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. WC1 2DJ W1C2DJ


Regent Hall Concerts - Duchess of Edinburghs String Orchestra

Friday 3 October • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. W1C 2DJ W1C2DJ


Regent Hall Concerts - Funny Bones Trombone Quartet

Friday 3 October • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. WC1 2DJ W1C2DJ


Regent Hall Concerts - Fulham Brass Band

Friday 3 October • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. WC1 2DJ


Regent Hall Concerts - Staines Brass Band

Saturday 4 October • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. WC1 2DJ W1C2DJ


Wardle Anderson Brass Band

October 2 • Wardle Anderson Brass Band is looking for a passionate, inspiring, and committed Musical Director to lead us into our next exciting chapter! We are a Championship Section Band based in Wardle, Lancashire.


Petworth Town Band

October 2 • Petworth Town Band have vacancies for Flugelhorn, Cornet and Bass Trombone. We have a full calendar of engagements and are led by our inspirational MD Paula Streeter. All new players are made welcome in the band.


Croy Silver Band

October 1 • Croy Silver Band currently has contest vacancies on Cornet and Percussion, but is always happy to accommodate enthusiastic new players in any section of the band.


Jenny Gartside

Bsc Hons
Jeweller, brass band themed jewellery and pin badges


               

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