Rex Richardson, David Childs, Black Dyke Band, Nicholas Childs - Force of Nature (2023) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Triquetra, Fantasia on Old Hundredth
02. Master of Suspense: I. Heatwave
03. Master of Suspense: II. Marnie
04. Master of Suspense: III. 20th Century Limited
05. Hymn for Bram
06. Hyperlink: I. The Voice of Jupiter
07. Hyperlink: II. Remember Me
08. Hyperlink: III. Vivat
09. Force of Nature: I. Matador
10. Force of Nature: II. Wayfarer "Reflections on Poor Wayfaring Stranger"
11. Force of Nature: III. Pilar
12. The Triumph of Time

The music of British brass bands rarely makes classical best-seller charts, but this one by the Black Dyke Band did in the autumn of 2023, and it is no wonder. It represents a rare confluence of compositional and instrumental efforts. Five of the six compositions are given their world premieres here; only the final, The Triumph of Time, is preexisting. So, the album displays an extraordinary degree of cooperation between a composer and an ensemble. The three main works of composer Peter Graham are overflowing with programmatic detail made possible by the highest level of instrumental performance. Master of Suspense is an homage to the films of Alfred Hitchcock (the "Heatwave" movement refers to Rear Window, and "20th Century Limited" to North by Northwest) -- and one might even be able to guess the films if one knew Hitchcock was the subject. Force of Nature, a euphonium concerto featuring soloist David Childs, is a tribute to Ernest Hemingway, with a moving treatment of the American hymn Wayfaring Stranger applied to his early war experiences. The references in Hyperlink are a bit more specific and less accessible to outsiders but no less interesting; the work, written for the 70th anniversary of the National Youth Band of Great Britain, weaves music connected with that group and with the National Brass Band Championships into a celebratory tapestry. Conductor Nicholas Childs deserves a major slice of the credit here for complex textures in which no detail is neglected. From an international perspective, the music of British brass bands is a bit neglected, but an album this beautifully done is going to be hard to ignore.

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