And so we reach
the seventh instalment in the seemingly tireless Essential Dyke
series. There have been cases in earlier volumes where one could
reasonably question exactly what it is that defines the “essential”
of the title. In this case the answer is entirely straightforward
as a result of one work; in fact one performance. Anyone that
was present at the 2006 British Open Championship at Birmingham’s
Symphony Hall will not have forgotten the stunning reading of
Philip Wilby’s Vienna Nights that won Black Dyke yet
another Open title to add to their long list of victories. Enthusiasts
of brass band contests will undoubtedly have a personal favourite
amongst Dyke’s many memorable winning performances but this
one was special by any standards. And in this case that tag
of “essential” can be justifiably applied.
Wilby’s work is
a homage to Mozart in the year of the master’s two hundred and
fiftieth birthday celebrations and it is a particularly personal
tribute. Mozart has been a revered composer throughout Wilby’s
life, a fact borne out by Wilby’s scholarly reconstructions
of incomplete Mozart “fragments” which were the subject of a
Yorkshire Television documentary some years ago.
This is not the
first time that Wilby has turned to other composers for inspiration
in his brass band works. One of his earliest yet most enduring
pieces, Paganini Variations, remains popular. That said
it is Masquerade, taking as its starting point Verdi’s
Don Carlos, that is closest to Vienna Nights in
both spirit and style.
It’s a formula that
has made its mark amongst brass band players and audiences alike.
Out and out modernism has always been frowned on in the conservative
world of the brass band, yet the fact that Wilby often wraps
his more modernist tendencies in a familiar “sugar” coating
appears to have found certain resonances, even favour, in an
arena that can be notoriously difficult to crack.
In Vienna Nights
the devilishly technical and the melodically accessible co-exist
in a work that draws its thematic inspiration from the familiar
strains of Mozart’s Piano Sonata in A K331. The ever-changing
moods of the work take the listener from the high jinks of a
man that was known to enjoy the occasional practical joke, through
Viennese café music in which it is easy to imagine Mozart and
“papa” Haydn passing the time of day, to music that reflects
the darker recesses of Mozart’s occasionally turbulent mind.
Black Dyke’s performance is one that immediately locks the listener
in. Nicholas Childs has worked extensively with Wilby and there
is a very clear sense of the conductor knowing exactly what
it is that he wants to draw from the score. This is a performance
that is brimful of atmosphere and is technically staggering
both collectively and individually. If an example is to be sought
of the individual quality in the band look no further than Peter
Roberts on soprano cornet; it’s fair to say that he enjoys veteran
status these days but there is no finer practitioner of the
instrument.
Elsewhere on the
disc the greatest interest lies in the soloists. Zelda,
by Australian-born Percy Code, has long been one of the most
popular of all cornet solos with many of the greats, including
Harry Mortimer and James Shepherd, having featured the piece
regularly in their concert repertoire. Black Dyke’s principal
cornet, Richard Marshall is an eloquent soloist, adding a few
little touches of his own whilst demonstrating a richer cornet
sound than the late Harry Mortimer would surely have approved
of. Tuba soloist Joseph Cook is a young man who has quickly
developed a notable reputation during his tenure at Black Dyke.
Rodney Newton’s Capriccio, cast in three melodically
attractive interlinked sections, is both an excellent vehicle
for his abilities as well as presenting a strong case for a
composer whose obvious talents should be better exploited on
a competitive level. Gareth Brindle is the baritone soloist
in Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s touching arrangement of Donegal
Bay. Even within the confines of the brass band world
the baritone has not, until recently, been viewed as a solo
instrument. When in the hands of a player as fine as Brindle
it is difficult to understand why it has taken so long for the
qualities of the instrument to be fully recognised.
The arranger of
Donegal Bay, Paul Lovatt-Cooper is a member
of the Black Dyke percussion team. Also included is one of his
originals in the form Where Eagles Sing, a lively concert-opener
very much in the vein of John Williams, which has been a recent
popular concert item with bands. Coming back to my original
point however, not all of the other items live up to that tag
of “essential”. Howard Lorriman’s arrangement of Mendelssohn’s
Fingal’s Cave is given a sensitive reading but the playing
time given over to Riverdance, John Miles’ Music
and most of all Alan Fernie’s arrangement of Yellow Submarine,
could have better exploited with only a little thought.
In summary then this
is simply one of those discs that one has to take a view on. If
you are serious about brass band music you should not be without
the “essential” performance of Vienna Nights. Whilst it
should be borne in mind that the rest of the disc might not command
your full attention in equal measure, the sixteen minutes of Wilby
alone could be said to justify the purchase price.
Christopher Thomas
Black Dyke Band/Nicholas
Childs 
