Ascot Brass took to the stage at the Maidenhead Salvation Army in East Road on Saturday 5th March to present an evening concert. The hall is the band's regular rehearsal venue on a Monday evening.
Ensemble pieces ranged from fast-paced marches (Punchinello, March Militaire Française) to the faster-paced Armenian Sabre Dance by Gomidas Vartabed, to the lyrical Shepherd's Song and Steve Cortland's arrangement of Stanley Myers' Cavatina.
Several solos were presented: Leonard Ballantine's Don't Doubt Him Now (Mark Dallas, cornet); Joy Webb's Share My Yoke (David Daws, trombone); and Gordon Langford's arrangement of The Lark in the Clear Air (Stacey Hall, tenor horn). Colourful sombreros were donned by the trombone section for Pascual Marquina's Spanish Trombones, arranged by Alan Fernie. The main programme closed with Kevin Larsson's march On We March.
A set was performed in each half of the concert by the Maidenhead Citadel's own songsters, one of who also stepped in at short notice to cover the 2nd baritone part, due to illness of our regular player.
This enjoyable concert was the last under the baton of Kelvin Ketteringham as Musical Director; he will continue with the band as a player and as deputy conductor, while David Rudd will now be taking over musical direction. The evening closed with a rendering of the hymn tune St Clements.