Triumphant Brass

AD2009 - the year Cory very nearly ruled the world. Bet you Tears for Fears never thought that might happen...

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Cory Band
Conductor: Dr Robert Childs
Doyen Recordings: CD247
Total Playing Time: 66.55

From Tears for Fears to Adolf Hilter and the Third Reich – at some time or another, everyone wants to rule the world.

And in 2009 global domination was on the cards for Cory: Victories at the Welsh, European, World and British Open Championships meant it was very nearly within their grasp.

Salt tears

However, unlike Alexander the Great, the only salt tears they eventually shed wasn’t because they had no more worlds to conquer, but due to the fact that even with an unsated appetite for further success, they simply ran out of steam.

Honourable defeats at the Nationals Finals and Brass in Concert may well have seen them fail to end their 125th anniversary year unbeaten, but they were certainly not unbowed. They remained by some considerable margin, the undisputed number 1 band in the world.

Lasting recognition

More lasting recognition of their achievements came with the presentation of the prestigious John Edwards Memorial Award for their outstanding contribution to Welsh music – and given that past winners include Bryn Terfel and Alun Hoddinot, the disappointment of not possessing every major banding prize on the globe was put into meaningful perspective.

This release is a timely reminder of those successes – although if they had won in London, they would have surely had to drop the Gareth Wood work that is featured – even though it would have provided an even more appropriate title for the CD.

The four works recall the victories at Ostend (winning both the set work and own choice disciplines) and the British Open, as well as their 125th anniversary concert at Cardiff’s Saint David’s Hall, for which Gareth Wood’s ‘Brass Triumphant’ was specially commissioned, and from which the third movement, ‘Mist in the Afan Forest’ was used when Cory claimed the World title in Kerkrade.

Superbly crafted

All are immensely powerful, superbly crafted performances, helped in no small part by the MDs forensic approach to the understanding of the required internal ensemble balances and essential dynamic detail, and his players appreciation of the technical and musical demands needed to carry those wishes out.

’On the Shoulders of Giants’ is delivered with an extreme sense of purpose – from the brilliance of the opening Bruckner inspired fanfares to the oblique lyricism of the central ‘Elegy’ and the evangelical zeal of the tour de force finale.

This is very much a piece that has the Cory stamp of ownership running through it from start to finish – so rivals beware come the British Open this September: They will not want to relinquish it.

’Titan’s Progress’, is rendered with a noticeable degree of musical, as well as technical, respect. It is an almost academic interpretation of the transition from callow youth to mature man of Cesara, the heroic central figure of Hermann Pallhuber’s quite brilliant musical portrait: It is some performance.

Icon

Meanwhile, Jan Van Der Roost’s ‘From Ancient Times’ could well become an iconic classic of the brass band genre in years to come thanks to this interpretation of a deeply satisfying work.  

Bold, detailed, but never overtly over analytical, an abiding sense of musicality flows from first note to last in a performance of rare understanding. No wonder the composer states that, ‘I can wish for no more’. He isn’t wrong.

High class

Finally the celebration lollipop and Gareth Wood’s virtuosic ‘Brass Triumphant’, which is perhaps more a major concert work than test piece, although you sense it has those essential characteristics in each of its four movements.

It’s a highly enjoyable work, full of just the right degree of ‘Welshness’ that never delves too deep into the damaging Celtic characteristics of maudling sentimentality and misplaced over importance.   

As a result it provides a very appropriate finale to a high-class release (with excellent sleeve notes, artwork and top class engineering from Richard Scott in particular).

No wonder they came so close to ruling the world.

Iwan Fox

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