Tribute – American & Norwegian Music For Brass Band
26-Oct-2003
Manger Musikklag
Helge Haukas
GRCD 004
Total playing time 64.09
The recording by Manger Mussiklag is superbly recorded by Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen, and is a disc that features some wonderful playing. You get that feeling though that the band wanted to milk the Norwegian & American themes till the very last drop with eighteen individual items with the most substantial work being Symphony of Thanksgiving by Dean Goffin, Paskemorgen by Ray Steadman-Allen and Aagaard-Nilsen's Fra Borge.
The other fifteen items are a good mix of some of the more familiar ballads from Share My Yoke, the evergreen, Lark In The Clear Air and the always popular, Amazing Grace, along with Black is the Colour of my True Love's Hair from James Curnow's familiar Appalachian Mountain Folk Song Suite.
British Composers, Goff Richards and Philip Sparke feature in Strike Up The Band and Barn Dance and Cowboy Hymn respectively.
The Norwegian music on the CD is extremely enjoyable, but leaves you wanting just that bit more. Tre Norske Danser is a short suite for brass band, and is one of the first Norwegian works scored for this ensemble. Jegermarsj ir 18 is the only march on the CD, and is closely related to the famous Valdres March. The listener can enjoy some beautiful solo playing by Trombone and Euphonium players Irene Renate Graven ( Radoysongen) and Thor-Arne Pederson (A Night in June) before enjoying Steadman-Allen's Paskemorgen – a paraphrase on an Easter Hymn, and beautifully played.
Its a shame that a disc paying tribute to American music did not include a march from the likes of Sousa. A CD that will definitely entertain, but has too many short items.
Malcolm Wood
What's on this CD?
1. Tribute, James Curnow, 2.56
2. Share my Yoke, Soloist: Gyda Matland, Cornet, Joy Webb, arr. Ivor
Bosanko, 3.58
Tre norske danser, Helge Eldar Aafloy
3. Halling, 1.36
4. Gangar, 1.26
5. Springar, 1.18
6. The Lark in the Clear Air, Soloist: Kjetil Morden, Soprano Cornet, Trad,
arr. Gordon Langford, 4.09
7. Barn Dance and Cowboy Hymn, Philip Sparke, 3.36
8. Radoysongen, Trombone: Irene Renate Graven, Petter Morden, arr. Tom
Brevik, 4.31
9. Symphony of Thanksgiving, Dean Goffin, 9.51
10. Amazing Grade, Trad, arr. William Himes, 3.33
11. Jegermarsj IR 18, Leif G. Orvan, instr: Helge Haukas, 2.26
12. A Night in June Serenade, Soloist: Thor-Arne Pedersen, Euphonium, Karl
L. King, instr: Bent Erik Braten Roed, 4.54
13. Paskemorgen, Ray Steadman-Allen, 7.09
14. Reinlender from SVoR, Trad, arr. Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen, 2.53
15. Fra Borge, Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen, 5.25
16. Hanan stend pa stabburshella, Trad, arr. Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen, 2.34
17. Black is the Colour of my True Love's Hair, Trad, arr. James Curnow,
2.58
18. Strike up the Band, George Gershwin, arr. Goff Richards, 2.56
Total playing time 64.09
