Camborne Town Band
Conductor: Kevin Mackenzie
Grand Marquee, Constantine, Cornwall
Sunday 20th July 2014
The Camborne Band again headlined the annual brass extravaganza in Constantine. Joined by Helston Town, St Keverne and Pendennis Bands, the evening lived up to previous years for showcasing Cornish brass at it’s best. Each band provided a 25 minute programme, which then led to the anticipated massed band ‘Proms’ finale.
The newly crowned Royal Trophy winners fittingly began their concert with the G.H. Willcocks march The Champions which led on to a polished performance of Shostakovich’s Festive Overture. Displaying a big sound and beautifully shaped melodic lines, the band showed it was on top form.
The featured soloist for the evening was Principal Euphonium, John Hitchens, who played Stanley Boddingtons virtuosic arrangement of Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms. John wowed the audience with his technical prowess, cementing his position as one of the finest players in the region, receiving a deserved standing ovation.
Percussionists, Charlie Hodge and Justin Strike, then stepped forward to play the novelty xylophone duet Listeria. The young musicians displayed their prodigious talent as they whirled around the famous tunes included within the piece, again bringing the appreciative audience to their feet.
Howard Snell’s beautiful arrangement of You’ll Never Walk Alone brought Camborne’s impressive set to a close. The band displayed their wide dynamic range in a finale that literally shook the foundations.
The warm and generous applause spoke volumes for a band and soloists on top form, with a programme that showed invention, innovation and a great deal of class. The encore of Howard Snell’s Czardas was a perfect fizzy send off to a very enjoyable concert.
