Photo, BBC/Chris Christodoulou
REVIEWED FROM LIVE RELAY ON BBC RADIO 3
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Royal Albert Hall, London
This matinee concert hit the ground running with a now-mistitled piece (if always honouring Roger Bannister), for there is a new Mile World Record, set only yesterday, at the London Stadium, by Josh Kerr at 3:42.66. The founded-1855 Black Dyke Band (add Mills for remembrance) brought Judith Bingham’s somewhat jagged piece, with restful reflection, to the finishing tape in 2:36, musically not really momentous enough to suggest astonishing athleticism. Gustav Holst’s Moorside Suite was highlighted by the soulful slow movement played intimately in this spacious venue. Peter Graham’s Force of Nature is a concerto for euphonium that didn’t quite hit any spot save as a vehicle for David Childs’s virtuosity, whereas Edward Gregson’s Symphony is impressively without frivolity if a little short of ultimate musical distinction however powerfully wrought.
Although skilled as arrangements, the Berlioz didn’t take kindly to leaving its Italian base or its scoring, no more than Rodrigo’s guitar/orchestra movement couldn’t avoid being a linguistic misfit with this cornet/brass band makeover, dominant drum-kit cutting through at the climax, the film soundtrack surrounds reasonably successful.
The recent scores fell a little short – it may have been time to revive Harrison Birtwistle’s Grimethorpe Aria, and I wonder if the band output of John McCabe and Robert Simpson had been considered – a feeling not alleviated by Philip Wilby’s Paganini Variations (yes, Caprice XXIV) that closed the concert, which was flashy and note-filled enough to suggest ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’, the greater attraction found in the meditative contrasts before the grandstand pay-off.
A second Peter Graham piece, Cartoon Music, was the brilliant encore, played with remarkable virtuosity and no shortage of sensitivity either; indeed the standard of execution, musicianship and commitment throughout the morning could be termed as Childs play, conductor Nicholas (uncle) and euphoniumist David (nephew).
Judith Bingham: Four Minute Mile
Hector Berlioz (arr. Frank Wright): Overture ‘Le carnaval romain’
Gustav Holst: A Moorside Suite
Peter Graham: Force of Nature
Edward Gregson: Symphony in two movements
John Williams (arr. Andrew Duncan): Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Hedwig’s Theme
Joaquín Rodrigo (arr. Kevin Bolton): En Aranjuez con tu amor (after the Adagio of ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’)
Klaus Badelt/Hans Zimmer (arr. Stephen Roberts): Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – Wheel of Fortune
Philip Wilby: Paganini Variations
David Childs (euphonium)
Black Dyke Band
Nicholas Childs
“Yorkshire’s esteemed Black Dyke Band shows off its virtuosity and versatility in a programme of contemporary pieces, arrangements of popular classics and excerpts from soundtracks by John Williams and Hans Zimmer.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002yxyt
Conducted by Elgar Howarth.
An interesting review, Colin, and thank you so much for the kind mention of John’s Cloudcatcher Fells. Also for bringing attention to fine work in this field by Robert Simpson. Eddie Gregson always writes well for brass band, and I have in general great respect for Judith Bingham as a composer. I have fond memories of attending the Festival of Brass in Manchester, and the great thing about brass bands is that they are always commissioning and performing new works, because of their competition tradition.