Following a respectable result at the London & Southern Counties areas, St. Sebastian Wokingham Band got their concert chops back in shape to raise money for the local Mayor’s chosen charity, Wokingham & District Association for the Elderly.

Heavyweight start

Themed on stage and screen, the concert begun with Bill Conti's heavyweight 'Fanfare for Rocky', which made way for the more traditional overture 'The Magic Flute'.

First of the solo performers was repiano cornet, Damon Emes, playing the theme from the film 'Born on the 4th of July'. 

Damon certainly encapsulated the haunting mood and raised the bar for the soloists to follow.

Light relief

Stephen Roberts whimsical arrangement of 'Putting on the Ritz' provided a light relief for the audience before euphonium soloists Humphrey Haynes and James Kelloway performed Bizet's ‘Deep Inside the Sacred Temple’ from the ‘The Pearl Fishers’.

Both players displayed rich tonality which complimented each other perfectly, with the luscious harmonies delivered as if Domingo and Pavarotti were there in person.

Visceral

Leading into the interval came the atmospheric epic 'Barbarian Horde' from the film ‘Gladiator’.

Describing the build up to and including the gladiatorial battles of the vicious Roman wars, Hans Zimmer's score saw the band really bring out the visceral qualities of the music.

Rousing

Following the interval, Kenneth Alford's 'Colonel Bogey' featured in the film 'Bridge on the River Kwai' provided a rousing opening, whilst the operatic stage was revisited with soprano soloist Wayne Filer performing the emotional ‘Vesti La Guibba’ from ‘I Pagliacci’.
 
Allowing the audience to compose themselves after the pulling of the heart-strings, the band let rip with Goff Richards' energetic 'Breezin' Down Broadway', before a timely remembrance of the passing of local hero, trumpeter Derek Watkins, with Philip Sparke's new arrangement of the blockbuster 'Skyfall'.

Perfect close

The final soloist of the evening was trombonist Paul MacNeill performing Hoagy Carmichael's 'Stardust', which the audience was informed, featured somewhat tediously in the background on a radio in the film 'The Battle of Britain'. MD Lee Woodward certainly did his homework!

Wagner's 'Elsa's Procession to the Minster' provided a rousing finale and a perfect close to the concert.

Following a lengthy applause and standing ovation, the Mayor of Wokingham thanked the band for all their hard work and support throughout his tenure before Philip Harper's arrangement of the TV theme 'Hawaii 5-0', complete with Mexican waves provided a great encore.

The good news was further enhanced by the announcement that the concert had raised close to a thousand pounds for the wonderful charity.

Wayne Filer