2016 sees the 400th anniversary of the death of the greatest playwright of all - William Shakespeare. 

Only the King James Bible touches the same sphere of linguistic beauty; only the music of Mozart its purest sense of genius.  Delve into all three and you are rewarded with a glimpse of heaven on earth. 

Worldly pleasures

More worldly pleasures were to be enjoyed at this concert in the heart of Bard Country in Birmingham; the latest in what is envisaged to be an ongoing series of high profile events inspired by the collaborative ambitions of recently appointed Conservatoire Principal, Julian Lloyd Webber.

In addition to an architecturally striking new home to be completed in 2017, he also hopes to build an equally imposing reputation for artistic excellence. This concert was a persuasive foundation block on which those aims and objectives could well be laid.

Combination

The combination of gifted actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company, the excellent brass band and symphonic brass arrangements, crafted direction from the two MDs and some spirited as well as intelligent playing from the students, made for a fine evening of eclectic musicianship - the centerpiece being a long overdue reprise of ‘Henry V; A Shakespeare Scenario’. 

Stirring

William Walton’s original music to the stirring 1943 film starring Laurence Olivier, enhanced by the rhythmic iambic pulse of the Brad’s writing and Ted Watson’s superb arranging skills, made for engrossing listening.  

The thoughtful accompaniment from the student ensembles also gave the actors windows of lacuna to deliver their lines with dramatic nuance; from the melancholic death of Falstaff to the testosterone fueled ‘God for Harry!’ and the resplendent ‘Agincourt Song’.  It was excellent stuff.

Classy renditions

In addition there were classy renditions of Walton’s ‘Fanfare for a Great Occasion’ and Watson’s own ‘Middleham Fayre’ in the first half, as well as Alywn Green’s boldly coloured arrangement of ‘A Christmas Fanfare’ and Paul Archibald’s nicely bombastic take of Prokofiev’s famous ‘Montagues & Capulets’.

Contrast came with a delicate ‘When Daisies Pied’ (also arranged by Alwyn Green) featuring a tasteful soprano lead in Cecily Redman, and Edward Watson’s meditative ‘The Stable’, complete with luxuriant narration.     

Dry witted

To round things off, Watson’s arrangement of ‘The Decorations’ - as Alan Bennett in its dry witted Christmas inspiration as a Thora Hird soliloquy, and the poetic drama of Eric Ball’s ‘The Kingdom Triumphant’ - a neatly observed touch of tonal artistry that didn’t lose any of its own specific beauty in comparison to anything we heard all evening.

Iwan Fox