TITLE: Hepworth Band

VENUE: St Paul’s Hall

REVIEW: David Tinker

UNDER the direction of their resident conductor Stig Maersk this concert by Hepworth Band was based on the theme East Meets West.

It opened with Shostakovich's Festive Overture played with plenty of brio and style and the band’s principal cornet Alex Foy Kerwin, then gave a good account of Slavische Fantasie by Hohne.

The Adagio from Spartacus was followed by more Shostakovich in Folk Festival. The song From Russia with Love was superbly sung by Iben Maersk, a member of the band. What a talent this young lady has.

Music by Dvorak in Slavonic Dance No 8 led us to an upbeat version of the Russian National Anthem entitled Glasnost by Dizzy Stratford. The first half finished with the exciting Coronation Scene From Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky.

Irving Berlin’s No Business like Show Business opened the second half with Mike Kilroy then giving a exciting rendering of the euphonium Solo La Belle Americaine.

The beautiful Shenandoah, arrangement Ballantine, brought a nice calm to the evening before we were upbeat again with Sweet Georgia Brown.

Vocalist Iben Maersk returned to give a moving account of the song People from the musical Funny Girl before we were off again Breezin Down Broadway in a arrangement by Goff Richards.

The traditional classic Amazing Grace then led us to the finale, Eric Cree’s brilliant arrangement of West Side Story By Bernstein.The encore Was New York New York.

This was a demanding and enjoyable programme well appreciated by the audience.