In 2016, soprano player Mike Kilmartin toyed with the idea of organising a ‘benefit concert’: A year later his ‘Legends in Brass’ event was such a success that he immediately began organising another.
This event saw the legends of Mike Kilroy, Mark Walters, Kevin Crockford, Kevin Holdgate, and of course MD Stan Lippeatt, provide excellent entertainment alongside the combined forces of Askern & Hatfield Colliery Band for equally inspiring causes.
Legend
Also amongst the ranks were a few of the wonderful ladies from Boobs & Brass, including Anita Newman from the South Coast who is somewhat of a legend herself having fought various cancers for the past six years.
The audience were treated to a fine variation of repertoire – the first half featuring Kevin Crockford with a beautiful rendition of ‘The Nuns Chorus’ and Mark Walters playing a new arrangement of Michael Buble’s ‘Feeling Good’ before they teamed up for the duet ‘Pie Jesus’.
Kevin Holdgate, sporting a new hirsute look was sublime on his own version of Hoagy Carmichael’s, 'The Nearness of You’, although not to be outdone, the rest of the trombone section joined him for ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’.
Kevin Holdgate, sporting a new hirsute look was sublime on his own version of Hoagy Carmichael’s, 'The Nearness of You’, although not to be outdone, the rest of the trombone section joined him for ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’.
Great scoff
With no less than 29 prizes up for grabs during the interval, the audience had to scoff down the warming helpings of pie and peas before it was time for yet more high quality brass band entertainment – led by Mike Kilroy on ‘Carnival Cocktail’ and the beautiful duet alongside Stan Lippeatt on flugel with ‘The Prayer’.
Mike Kilmartin’s arrangement of ‘The King of Love’ was touchingly played as images of those lost to the banding world appeared on screen, before the closing item of ‘Music’ by John Miles brought everything to a rousing, celebratory conclusion, with news that over £2,000 had been raised for the nominated cancer charities.
Margaret Betts
