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"''It was an occasion we will never forget''
Fine Arts Brass: Cheltenham Contemporary Concerts Series, St Andrew's Church, Cheltenham.
For the final concert in this series, Fine Arts Brass began with a lively interpretation of the 'Haka' - Igniting Breath by Philip Wilby. Although not as intimidating as the All Black's demonstration, it was a joyful introduction to an evening of first-class brass playing. Two world premieres showed the virtuosic powers of the five instrumentalists. 'The Mechanical Operation of The Spirit' by Woolrich, was unsettling as it rapidly changed genres, whereas Mark Edgley Smith's 'Fanfares For Forgotten Occasions' allowed the audience to fit the four movements to their imagined ''occasion''. That splendid non-prescriptive idea made up for the overlong 'Auriga: The Five Stars' by McGuire which began with interesting concepts. The piece seemed to follow the ''music of the spheres'' with overlapping parts, but became over-indulgent. Two tightly-constructed compositions McCabe's 'Hawk in Winter Light' and Boyle's 'Elegy For The Black Bitch' suitably painted scenes, but it was Malcolm Arnold's 'First Little Suite for Brass', Joubert's 'Brass Chamber Music' Op. 104 and Torke's 'August' which enriched this concert.
This last composition showed brass playing at its most agile, with double and triple tonguing, plenty of dynamic contrast, energy and drive.
Anne Dunn (Gloucestershire Echo March 2007.)" - Gloucestershire Echo
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