On 22nd January, exactly a year after our last visit, the Band returned to Penn Street, near Amersham, to give a New Year concert in Holy Trinity church. This was our third visit to Penn Street, such was the success of the first two it seems to be becoming a regular event. Conductor Neil Chapman had put together a mixed programme of old music and new. Some were pieces we had been working on last year, and some were freshly brought out for this concert. Some were new to the audience, such as Danceries by Kenneth Hesketh and Paris Sketches by Martin Ellerby, while others were well known through being used as signature tunes for programmes on radio 4. Neil shared the conducting with Robert Wicks, who actually opened the concert with Padstow Lifeboat by Malcolm Arnold. You can see the complete programme here.
Neil admitted rather ruefully that it was a hard blow for the band, as indeed it was, but we all pulled together, and the concert went remarkably well. We even saved some energy for an encore and played Roller Coaster by Otto M Schwarz.
In the interval we were served tea and coffee, and delicious home made cakes. In all an evening of entertainment and good cheer to lighten the gloom of a cold, wet January.
UPDATE 13th February 2011. Rod Wynne-Powell came to take photos of the concert, and you can see them here.
Concert Programme for Penn Street 23rd January 2011
Conducted by Neil Chapman and Robert Wicks*
| Title | Composer / Arranger |
|---|---|
| The Padstow Lifeboat* | Malcolm Arnold, Arranged Ray Woodfield |
| Gaelforce | Peter Graham |
| Paris Sketches* | Martin Ellerby |
| By the Sleepy Lagoon (Desert Island Discs) | Eric Coates |
| Barwick Green (The Archers) | Arthur Wood, arr. Norman Richardson |
| Stephenson’s Rocket | Nigel Hess |
| Puttin’ on the Ritz | Irving Berlin, arr. Lorenzo Bocci |
| Florentiner March* | Julius Fučík, ed. John R Bourgeois |
3 movements from Danceries
|
Kenneth Hesketh |
| The Irish Washerwoman | Leroy Anderson |
| John Williams: The Symphonic Marches* | John Williams, arr. John Higgins, Paul Lavender |
| Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang | R M Sherman & R B Sherman |
| The Wizard of Oz* | Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg, arr. James Barnes |
| Encore: | |
| Roller Coaster | Otto M Schwarz |