Matthew Ford is one of the UKs leading Big Band singers; often found touring and performing with the John Wilson Orchestra, the BBC Big Band and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, as well as fronting Big Band nights with the Halle Orchestra and other leading ensembles.

As a friend of Foden’s trombonist John Barber, Matthew has also visited Sandbach over the past 10 years as a guest of the Sandbach School Big Band - so it was inevitable that one day a concert like this would happen.

Brainchild

‘A Swinging Christmas’ was John’s brainchild - the aim to combine the traditional sound of Foden’s with Matt’s voice in a spectacular fusion sprinkled with Christmas joy. It certainly worked a treat.

The band kicked off with an electrifying rendition of the 1936 Louis Prima hit ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ before treating the audience to a stunning solo from soprano player Richard Poole on ’Ice Castles’. Sticking with the winter weather theme, Matt then joined for ‘Let It Snow’ - giving the audience their first chance to hear the expertly balanced combination of band and singer.

Classics

Christmas classics such as ’I’ll Be Home for Christmas’, ’Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, ’It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’, ’O Holy Night’ and ’Silver Bells’ as well as some Big Band favourites in ’I’ve Got You Under My Skin’, ’Feeling Good’, ’Mack The Knife’ and ’New York, New York’ were delivered with a swaggered aplomb - thanks to arrangement skills of John Barber. 

A highlight though was undoubtedly ‘Jingle Bells’, which featured the trio of multi-talented 'Fodenettes' as backing singers.

Festive favourites

The band also performed a few festive favourites including ‘Troika’, ‘Sleigh Ride’ and ‘Away in a Manger’, featuring the lovely sounds of Melanie Whyle. Meanwhile, euphonium soloist David Thornton produced a moving performance of a new arrangement of ‘Silent Night’ on his last Foden’s appearance before taking up his new conducting role with Brighouse & Rastrick.

Roll on Christmas

A highly enjoyable evening was rounded off with Michael Fowles informing the packed audience that the band would be looking at recording a Christmas CD with Matt as well as plans for a number of further concerts together in 2017.

If people say brass bands cannot swing then they are wrong:  Foden’s can - and did so in a way that that gained rapturous applause. Christmas 2017 can’t come soon enough.

John Walters