Charity Concert by Milnrow Band in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blind

Natalie Beer playing her flugel horn solo

2 More Image(s) In Gallery

Last Sunday evening (4 November) a charity concert at Milnrow Workmen's Club organised by Mike Cunningham and the club committee raised the sum of £255 for Guide Dogs for the Blind, together with previous efforts the amount raised so far this year for the charity is £2200 and the club is now well on the way to reaching its proposed target of £5000.

Champion Section Milnrow Band under guest conductor for the evening Mr Garry Hallis and led on solo cornet by Dave Karran provided a variation of superb brass music to the obvious delight of a packed and receptive audience.

The band commenced with a typical march “Gladiators Farewell” followed by “Mid all the Traffic” (a piece owing much to the traditional American song “Shenandoah”)
Items from the bands' current repertoire followed, and in the first half those present were treated to the delights of some famous show tunes.

“Love Changes Everything” from Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Aspects of Love”
Followed by a bright and breezy “Breezing Down Broadway” (arranged by the late Goff Richards) which contained such well known show stoppers as “No Business like Show Business”, “Get me to the Church on Time”, ”Oklahoma”, ”That’s Entertainment and “76 Trombones”.

Two of the band's soloists were featured in this first stint, Natalie Beer (flugel horn) played “Concerto de Aranjuez" (originally composed for the guitar by Spanish pianist Joaquim Rodrigo in 1939 and latterly featured in the 1995 film “Brassed Off”), Solo Ebb tuba player Mike Morris with much finger dexterity treated us to his version of “Carnival for Bass” (a variation on the Carnival of Venice), showing us that with expertise the larger instruments of the band can be melodically used in a solo capacity.

Before taking a well earned rest, the Milnrow band concluded with “Gael Force”, an arrangement for brass band of the famous foot tapping Celtic favourite by Peter Graham.

The Milnrow Workmen's Club is becoming well known locally for its charitable work and this event is only one of several this year to benefit the Guide Dogs for the Blind charity.

Mike Cunningham and his committee spare no effort in organisation as evident in the patriotic table décor.

Flags, hats and other novelties were on sale for the charity during the interval to add to the “Last Night of the Proms” theme which was to feature as the final section of the bands programme.

However for starters the band launched into a big band type arrangement of Australian Salvationist Barry Gott`s “Light Walk”, Alan Fernie`s arrangement from the 1920`s as featured in the film of the same name “Singing in the Rain” and a piece also reminiscent of the 1920s “slapper era” composed and made famous by Freddie Mercury and Queen, quirkily titled “Bring Back that Leroy Brown”. Solo trombonist Chris Binns received rapturous applause for his rendition of “Some Where Over the Rainbow” (without the aid of his music) from the Judy Garland film of 1939.

Further film music “633 Squadron” from the film of the same name and then the Women`s Institute “anthem” “Jerusalem” led neatly into the “Proms” type finale .
Regalia suitably donned and flags at the ready the audience prepared to participate in a grand finale.

“Fantasia on British Sea Songs” composed in 1905 by Sir Henry Wood as a tribute to naval history over the one hundred years since Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar, was followed by the band's final item Elgar`s “Pomp and Circumstance” accompanied by the mandatory singing, flag waving, foot stomping and cheering which brought this very enjoyable charity concert to conclusion.

After much spontaneous applause the band finally signed off with its trade mark “curtain call” item, “The Radetsky March”.