CD: Soaring through the Skies
Staffordshire BandMusical Director: Craig Williams
Soaring through the Skies
Featuring Music for Brass Band by Samuel Shelley
Staffordshire Band
Musical Director: Craig Williams
www.staffordshire.band
The Staffordshire Band has enjoyed something of a resurgence in recent years, with 2022 victories in both Section 1 of the Midlands Regional Championships and the Butlin’s Mineworkers Championships. This CD release provides further evidence of the band’s impressive development under Musical Director, Craig Williams, with 13 tracks that not only demonstrate a band in fine form, but also showcase a young composing talent who I’m sure we’ll hear more from in the future.
Samuel Shelley is from Cannock in Staffordshire, and it’s his eponymous Soaring through the Skies that provides a powerful opening to this disc. Infused with all the dramatic compositional techniques that one might associate with a Paul Lovatt-Cooper concert blockbuster, the sweeping melodic lines combine with energetic musical filigree to great effect. This is immediately followed by one of the highlights of the release, My Lord Has Come. Samuel Shelley’s treatment of William Todd’s a cappella vocal work is exquisite, but it’s the playing, emanating such heartfelt musicianship that leaves a lasting impression.
Matka is another original composition by the disc’s featured composer and takes the listener on a high-octane Finnish journey, climaxing with a thunderous bang from the bass drum to close. Through Holy, Holy, Holy, Samuel Shelley once again demonstrates his skill as both composer and arranger with clever use of the famous hymn tune, Nicaea, to form a glorious setting featuring melody, variations and a dramatic ending. Given the composer’s Salvation Army upbringing, it’s not surprising that a theme of worship runs through the programme of featured repertoire, although there are one or two notable exceptions! Soprano soloist, Nick Lear, delivers a sparkling account of the Bond classic, Live and Let Die, whilst tuba soloist, Ademola Odedina, impresses with a brilliant première recording of Stephen Roberts’ quirky Walking the Bass. Samuel Shelley’s 6/8 nautical style march also provides welcome contrast, drawing inspiration from John Glover-Kind’s popular song, Oh I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside. Euphonium soloist, Mark Glover, demonstrates his dulcet tones in a beautiful rendition of Poor Wayfaring Stranger and, in a similar style, the band provides an emotive rendition of With the Angels – a work composed by Samuel Shelley in loving memory of two friends.
Invisible was composed specifically for the band prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, so it took 18 months for the players to finally rehearse it. Once again, the composer skilfully uses a hymn tune (St. Denio) to craft a wonderful composition and, on the evidence of this recording, it was certainly worth the wait! Both Light!! and The Silver Trumpets are welcome ‘up-beat’ additions to a wonderful programme, brought to digital audio life expertly by Producer, Phil Hardman, and the World of Sound team.
DAVID CHILDS
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