Earlier this month, Ascot Brass presented their first concert of 2023 at the Salvation Army Hall in Maidenhead. This is a regular annual engagement for the band, and it holds a special place in their calendar for two reasons: firstly, the Maidenhead Citadel Hall is their weekly rehearsal space; secondly, various members of the band are also members of the Maidenhead Citadel Songsters, so were able to perform with both groups throughout the course of the evening. The concert was in aid of the community work carried out by the Maidenhead Citadel Salvation Army Corps, and featured musical numbers from the Maidenhead Citadel Songsters as well as Ascot Brass.
The band opened the evening in traditional style with a rousing march: The Contestor. The band then slowed things down with the much-loved folk song, The Waters of Tyne, before Musical Director David Rudd welcomed the audience to the concert. Without further ado, the band carried on with the programme, playing March from The Nutcracker, before introducing their principal cornet player, Mark Dallas, who took to the stage to perform Eric Ball’s Clear Skies. The piece was introduced by principal trombone player, David Daws, who is known amongst the band for his knack for winding Mr. Dallas up—a side-effect of the feud between the cornets and trombones.
‘In preparation for tonight, I did ask a number of people in the band to tell me some interesting things about Mark,’ he said, ‘but nobody got back to me!’
Despite the savage intro, Dallas played his solo beautifully. After a jazzy interlude, Daws introduced the band’s second soloist of the evening, Kim Hollamby, who performed Mexican folk tune, La Cucaracha, which translates as ‘The Cockroach’—a name that doesn’t at all reflect the wonderfully rich sound Hollamby produced.
Following Kim’s solo, the Maidenhead Citadel Songsters took to the stage, led by Madeleine Brain. The Songsters performed two pieces: Why I Love Jesus by Darren Bartlett, and I’ve Been Changed by Mosie Lister. The first piece was a heart-felt melody, the second an up-beat number that had both the audience and the band behind the Songsters tapping their toes.
The band then rounded off the first half with two more pieces; an arrangement of Shostakovich’s 2nd Waltz, and Shine as the Light, a brass band epic by Peter Graham, which was written in dedication to the memory of Captain Al Honsberger and incorporates the melodies of three Salvation Army church songs. After an energetic finish—which was met with an energetic round of applause from the audience—it was time for the interval.
The second half of the concert was just as diverse as the first, featuring jazz, a polka, and a banned-from-the-Principality-Stadium pop song, as well as another solo—this time from David Daws. Daws’ solo, Thoughts Of Love, was introduced by Mark Dallas, who wasted no time in getting his revenge: ‘If you Google David Daws, you’ll hear him playing a cornet. For many years, I used to listen to David play and be in awe of him—but I’m not in awe of him now, because he plays that stupid thing!’ After some more band-ter, Daws played to a captivated audience and was met with a huge round of applause.
The Songsters took to the stage again in the second half, performing Song of Love by Darren Bartlett and Beautiful Saviour by Stuart Townsend, which invited the audience to share in a moment of quiet reflection.
Ascot Brass finished the evening with a selection of music from My Fair Lady, before being roused to an encore by the audience. The chosen piece was Montreal Citadel, another march famous in the banding world for its involvement of exercise… Throughout it, different sections stand to play their own theme. By the end of the piece, all of the members of the band were stood together, playing out to the audience.
If you missed this concert, have no fear – we recorded it live! You can watch the recording via the Maidenhead Citadel Salvation Army’s YouTube page.
Ascot Brass’ next engagement will be the first of its kind: a joint concert with Staines Lammas Band. The concert will take place on April 22nd at St. Hilda’s Church, Ashford. For more details, visit our ‘Engagements’ page, or follow Ascot Brass on Facebook. We look forward to seeing you there!