Two years ago, Foden's held a self-promoted concert at Manchester Cathedral as 'Double Champions', with an audience of over 700 people packed into pews to enjoy the excellent entertainment.

This year, with the silverware elsewhere and with high profile artists performing around the city on the same weekend, not forgetting late night shoppers enjoying the increasingly popular open air Christmas markets, the concert proved to be a bit more of a hard sell than the band would have liked.

Not disappointed

However, those who did forgo the early festive attractions were not disappointed, as the Sandbach outfit hosted a concert where the repertoire was still highly entertaining, engaging and suitable to the acoustic - and all without a single item of tinsel coloured seasonal music on show.

With Michael Fowles leading Whitburn to victory in Perth, the main baton duties were taken by John Pryce Jones, the highly respected choral conductor, who is no stranger to the banding fraternity, having led Yorkshire Imps to the British Open title in 1980.

Fusion

It was Robert Simpson's 'Energy' that gave him that famous Belle Vue victory, and he certainly injected plenty of fusion into Philip Littlemore's arrangement of 'King's Herald' from Herbert Howells' 'Pageantry', followed by Weber's  romantic overture, 'Der Freischütz', delivered with operatic colour and texture.

Bill topper

Topping the bill was American trumpet star (and Foden’s Vice President), Jens Lindemann, who was on cracking form as he delivered the brass band world premiere of Peter Meechan's, 'Orpheus' Trumpet Concerto.

Orpheus is an immensely engaging character of Greek mythology; the beauty of his songs able to subdue wild beasts and charm inanimate objects (although he came to a sticky end by the hands of some rather tetchy ladies), and the three movement work certainly captured the curious nature of his power as well as his demons. 

Lindemann was a delight: at times prickly and defiant, at others sublime and melancholic, especially in the middle movement of luscious musicality. 

Encore

The encore, with Meechan's arrangement of the Queen hit, 'Who Wants to Live Forever' was a cracking bit of theatrical bombast Freddie Mercury himself would have been proud of. 

It was then the turn of the Foden's Youth Band, bolstered by players from the senior band, to display their musical endeavours in a quintet of contrasting pieces under the direction of Mark Bousie.

Highlight

Energetic and enthusiastic, the highlight was the elongated, playful version of 'Children of Sanchez' featuring Jens duetting on flugel with Alex Flanders.

After a much needed interval, where members of the youth band grabbed their mobiles to get obligatory ‘selfies’ (and what a shame so many of them went home instead of broadening their musical education by staying for the second half) Foden's joined forces with the Halifax Choral Society.

Growing majesty

The growing majesty of 'Zadok the Priest' was musical gusto of the finest kind, before the choir's main contribution, John Rutter's 'Gloria' for choir, octet, organist and three soloists, was sumptuously delivered.  

It really was terrific stuff, with the choral society singing with deft, crisp diction and a brilliant range of power and dynamics, whilst the brass and percussion added a thrilling capstone.

The obligatory encore came with the popular 'You'll Never Walk Alone', the self proclaimed anthem from down the opposite end of the M62 motorway to Manchester's two football giants. 

Appropriately, it rounded off a fine night of unexpected musical pleasures.

Malcolm Wood