Bram Tovey to conduct 'Clarence Adoo Brass Band'

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carlwoodman

Member
The Clarence Adoo Brass Band is being re-formed to play a concert at The Salvation Army hall, Booth Road, Croydon, CR0 1XY on Saturday 28th June at 7pm.
We are delighted that Bram Tovey is flying into the UK especially to conduct the concert, which aims to raise money for the Clarence Adoo Trust.
The band is made up of professional and Salvationist brass players who have worked and played alongside Clarence over the years.
The programme is to include Brams' own composition 'Coventry Variations' and Ray Steadman-Allens' 'Fantasia for Piano and Band' with Bram being the piano soloist.

Tickets £5 (concessions £3) now available from the address above.
Please send stamped addressed envelope and cheque made payable to Clarence Adoo Trust.

www.clarence.org.uk/events.html
 
PeterBale

PeterBale

Moderator
Staff member
I'm hoping to get along to the concert, all being well. I first met Clarence when we were soldiering at Cambridge Heath, and he would come and help us out on the cornet from time to time. A few weeks before his accident Janet and I were conducting the services at Shoeburyness where Clarence was still bandmaster, although he was working in Newcastle at the time. He had managed to get back for the evening meeting, and we played together in a band of six players, including playing a selection.

The Fantasia on Christ is the Answer is one of my favorites - we played it at the Heath accompanying Peter Ayling, and then I heard Fodens play it with Bram Tovey at the pre-contest concert last year, so it will be good to hear it again.
 
C

carlwoodman

Member
carlwoodman said:
The programme is to include Brams' own composition 'Coventry Variations' and Ray Steadman-Allens' 'Fantasia for Piano and Band' with Bram being the piano soloist.
www.clarence.org.uk/events.html
Click to expand...

I can now give further programme information about this concert.

Kevin Ashman (principal cornet,ISB) will be playing the cornet solo 'Golden Slippers'.
Patrick Harrild (principal tuba, London Symphony Orchestra) will also be presenting a solo. This will take the form of a musical tribute to his friend and colleague Paul Smith who was the principal tuba of the BBC Symphony Orchestra before he was tragically taken from us last year after a long illness.

The band will be playing;
Princethorpe Variations (Kenneth Downie)
Laudes Domini (William Gordon)
Spirit of the West (Dudley Bright)
The Triumph of Peace (Eric Ball)
Just as I am (Wilfred Heaton)

There is a real buzz from the players that are taking part and we hope to be playing to a full hall on the night.
Don't get caught out, buy your ticket NOW!
 
PeterBale

PeterBale

Moderator
Staff member
Attended the concert on Saturday and it was an excellent evening's music-making. Clarence was the compere through most of the progamme from his chair at the front, the video screens ensuring everyone could see and hear, with Bram Tovey chipping in in his own inimitable fashion.

Considering the limited rehearsal time, the standard was very good, with varied styles of music being presented, including a quintet playing a Bach fugue made up of members who had been students together, with tMP's own Carl Woodman on tuba.

Although David Daws seems to have made Golden Slippers more or less his own at the moment, it was pointed out that Kevin Ashman, who played it on Saturday night, has been playing it ever since his days in the old East London Youth Band, many former members being in the Clarence Adoo band. The other brass soloist, Patrick Harrild, formerly a YP band member in the Salvation Army, now Principal Tuba with the LSO, played the finale from the Gregson Tuba Concerto, ably accompanied by a piano student from the Academy. He explained it was in part a tribute to Paul Smith, formerly of the BBC Symphony orchestra, who died last year. He had been a pupil of Patrick's, and it was Paul's desire to learn the concerto that had led to Patrick getting to know it himself.

Bram Tovey repeated his performance of Ray Steadman Allen's Christ is the Answer that he gave with Fodens last year, the band tuning to the piano prior to the performance. His own Coventry Variations made quite an impact on those who had not heard it before. He also explained about the additional variations, although these were not performed on this occasion.

Picures of the event are now posted on Clarence's web-site:

http://www.clarence.org.uk/photogal4.html
 
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