County Times

REVIEW: Enjoyable evening raises money for hospital
Published Date: 21 April 2009

THIS highly enjoyable evening came in the form of a joint celebration marking the 30th anniversary of the Slinfold Concert Band and the 50th anniversary of the League of Friends of Horsham Hospital.

An almost full house responded rapturously to a carefully chosen programme of musical numbers from around the world, enjoyed some excellent solo performers and in the process raised a healthy sum for future hospital projects.

The band has a wonderful variety of wind, brass and percussion, and a mix of players that generously spans the generations.

Under the jovial leadership of musical director Malcolm Gay they tackled a very ambitious programme with tremendous enthusiasm and great versatility.

There were seventeen very different arrangements covering a diverse range of styles, some extraordinarily challenging.

We experienced thumping marches, Jamaican rumba, traditional Welsh, Irish and Scottish tunes, French, Spanish and Italian pieces, and even the awe-inspiring soundtrack from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Soloists Melanie Moore (clarinet) and Ed Bentall (trumpet) stood out and the orchestra really rose to the occasion with their performances of The Yeoman of the Guard, The Wee MacGregor, The Pines of Rome, the Marche Lorraine and the very moving Finlandia.

For me the highlight of the show was The Blue And The Gray, a collection of music from the American civil war, beautifully performed and clearly Slinfold's piece de resistance.

Formed in 1978 in the small village of Slinfold, the concert band now draws its players from far and wide and is regarded as one of the most popular bands of its type in the South East.

Watch out for them at the Horsham Hospital Summer Fete on Saturday, May 30, 2-4pm.

David Briffett

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