This weekend, Ascot Brass presented their first concert of the season at the All Saints Church in Marlow. The band were thrilled to be invited back to the Church for this annual event hosted by the Marlow Rotary Club, and even more excited to perform alongside special guests Frances Stafford, an incredibly talented soprano, and Emily Hoh, a gifted pianist and Stafford’s accompanist for the evening.
The band began the concert in traditional style with a rousing march, The Champions, before performing for their first time the Overture to Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute. As the band regained their breath after the dramatic opening to the evening, Music Director David Rudd introduced Stafford and Hoh.
The two women took the audience’s breath away with their first song of the evening, Quel quardo il cavaliere… So anch’io la virtu magica, from Don Pasquale. Stafford displayed incredible technical ability, while Hoh played beautifully alongside her. The audience burst into a round of applause, and the two women took their bows before the next soloist of the evening took centre stage—Ascot Brass’ principal cornet player, Mark Dallas. Dallas led the band through a sweet rendition of jazz favourite Georgia On My Mind, before the band picked up the pace with Armenian Sabre Dance.
Throughout the rest of the evening, Stafford and Hoh performed a series of comic—yet still technically dazzling—pieces, including It’s My Wedding! from The Enchanted Pig, There Are Fairies at the Bottom of my Garden, and Hello! Oh, Margaret, It’s You! from The Telephone. The pair performed seamlessly with one another; Hoh setting the scene beautifully while Stafford not only sang but acted out each performance—all of which ended with thunderous applause and a round of giggles from the audience.
Ascot Brass played a diverse programme throughout the evening, featuring favourites such as The Magnificent Seven and New York, New York, as well as the heartfelt melody The Water of Tyne and a British sea song suite that had some audience members struggling not to sing along, as they told us afterwards. The evening also featured another favourite solo of the band, Blue Bells Of Scotland, performed expertly by world-class principle trombonist David Daws—without any music!
The band were thrilled to have been able to play at the Church again for the first time since COVID restrictions were fully lifted, and more pleased still to have been greeted by such an enthusiastic audience. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening for all, and we’re already looking forward to returning next year!