The tone for what was to become a festival of inclusive excellence was set by an engaging prelude concert at Birmingham’s colonnaded Town Hall.

It played its impressive part; the Albert Hall stage-double used for the climax of the film ‘Brassed Off!’ providing a fine acoustic for two ensembles who on this non-competitive occasion showcased their talents without the need to battle each other to raise a trophy in triumph.

Inspired

Irene Anda led an inspired NYBBGB – the youngsters fully accustomed to her direction following their recent Easter course to deliver on repertoire that had gained an appreciable sheen of performance veneer.

There was a purposeful drive to the opening ‘Fanfare’  by founder Dr Denis Wright, followed by an evocative reprise of ‘In Many Lands: The Adventures of Mary Seacole’  by Paul Saggers; a telling reimagining of the trails and tribulations of a truly heroic Victorian woman.

‘In Memoriam’  by William Grant was the thoughtful prelude to Brett Baker’s informed appreciation of ‘The Eternal Quest’, before they closed with a fresh lick of kaleidoscopic palette paint applied to Gilbert Vinter’s ‘Spectrum’.

There was a purposeful drive to the opening ‘Fanfare’  by founder Dr Denis Wright, followed by an evocative reprise of ‘In Many Lands: The Adventures of Mary Seacole’  by Paul Saggers; a telling reimagining of the trails and tribulations of a truly heroic Victorian woman.

Tightly tailored

The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, Collingwood took the opportunity to put their stamp on the musical proceedings with a set as tightly tailored as Capt Sam Hairsine’s dress uniform.

There was an accomplished ease about the playing; from ‘A Life on the Ocean Wave’  and ‘Flight of the Silver Bird’  to the world premiere of ‘First Voyage’  by Hannah Trudgeon RM,  Florence Price’s ‘Adoration’  and the classic march ‘Rolling Thunder’.

In a nice touch, former NYBBGB alumni Richard Ward fizzed off a classic bit of Harry James, whilst the surgical precision of the Corps of Drums was a showstopper. ‘Lux Auremque’  and Peter Graham’s ‘Shine As the Light’  rounded off an evening that provided a fine display of future potential and as well as polished professionalism.

Iwan Fox