There is plenty of great music to enjoy from Ian Cottier on Manx Radio this Christmas on his 'Time for Brass'.

Monday December 21st:

The programme that I most enjoy putting together each year is my Christmas Special.

It gives me a chance to pull together lots of different responses to the Christmas story and to go outside of my brass band remit and introduce choral pieces and the spoken word.

Monday 28th December:

The lifeblood of a programme like mine is the way the recording companies and private recordings make sure their newest productions reach the ears of potential purchasers.

Now, thanks to the wonders of the internet, my each year I put together a programme which I call “The Best of ....”.

1. Prelude on ‘Tallis’ — Peter Graham—Sunderland Monkwearmouth Band
2. Ballafesson March—John Kinley—Rushen Silver Band, Isle of Man
3. The Magic Flute overture—Mozart arr. Michael Kenyon—Enfield Citadel Band
4. Spectrum—Gilbert Vinter—Black Dyke; archive recording 1970
5. The Flower Duet—Delibes arr. David Childs—Cory—Soloists: Joanne Childs (Flugel) and Michelle Ibbotson (Soprano)
6. The Triumph of Peace—Eric Ball—The International Staff Band
7. Swinging Matilda—Philip Wilby—Black Dyke
8. Joshua Swings the Battle—arr Stephen Bulla—The Household Troops Band—Cornet soloist: Daniel Robson
9. Intermezzo from “Cavalleria Rusticana” — Mascagni arr. William Halliwell—Virtuosi GUS
10. I’ll Walk with God—Brodsky arr. Goff Richards—New York Staff Band
11. The Invincible Army—Erik Leidzen—Black Dyke

Monday 4th January:

Like many of my listeners I follow with fascinated interest the 4Barsrest rankings. Like many of my listeners, that fascinated interest is not untinged with a healthy scepticism.

Is Bob Childs’s Cory really 570 points better (or is it more successful?) a band than brother Nick’s Black Dyke as the rankings would have you believe?

Are we to take as gospel that Eikanger-Bjorsvik are in any true sense nine places lower down the competitive pecking order than Stavanger?

Impossible questions to answer, but one good thing to come out of the December rankings is that they have provided a peg on which to hang this week’s programme.

I have taken the top ten bands in the December list and offered a sample of their wares.

4th January 2010:

1. The Barber of Seville—Rossini arr. Howard Lorriman — Cory
2. Toccata—Widor arr. Philip Sparke—Fodens Richardson
3. The Lady is a Tramp—Rodgers and Hart arr. Sandy Smith—Black Dyke
4. Luck Be a Lady—Frank Loesser arr. Sandy Smith—Black Dyke
5. The Bonny Briar Bush—Trad. Arr Elgar Howarth—Grimethorpe
6. Little Fugue in G Minor—J.S. Bach arr. Sandy Smith—Grimethorpe
7. The Big Mancini—Henry Mancini arr. Darrol Barry—Brighouse and Rastrick
8. Arnhem—A.E. Kelly—Leyland
9. Pie Jesu—Faure arr. Bram Gay—Leyland—Flugel soloist: Lucy Murphy
10. Kongalela—Jan Magne Forde—Stavanger
11. Spring Waltz—Philip Wilby — Fairey
12. Westward Go! — Goff Richards—Desford