Repertoire

Some of our more recent concert programs are given below:

Abingdon Bands do the PromsAbingdon Bands do the Proms

a joint concert with Abingdon Town Band

Saturday 13 October 2007

Guildhall, Abingdon

Most people's perception of the Proms is the 'Last Night', although the last concert of the season is very different from the others that are performed at the Royal Albert Hall over the summer each year. The final concert is traditionally in a lighter, 'winding-down' vein, with popular classics being followed by a series of patriotic pieces in the second half of the concert. These include Hubert Parry's Jerusalem (a setting of a poem by William Blake), Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (Land of Hope and Glory), Sir Henry Wood's Fantasia on British Sea Songs, and Thomas Arne’s Rule Britannia.

This is the first time that two of Abingdon's longest established Bands have come together for a joint performance, and we are hoping it will be an evening to remember. Our programme loosely follows that of the traditional 'Last Night', with a few surprises thrown in. Each Band has a distinct style and sound – you may notice the slightly different configuration of instruments being played. Whilst both Bands include brass instruments, the Concert Band also comprises clarinets, flutes, saxophones, and other woodwind.

Between them, the bands off er a rich variety of sound and we hope this will add extra interest to tonight’s performance. We hope you enjoy the concert and join us to sing as we play some of the more traditional pieces in the second half of the concert.

Thank You For The Music - 30th Anniversary ConcertThank You For The Music

1977–2007

Saturday 17 March 2007

Abingdon Baptist Church, Ock Street, Abingdon

Welcome to our 30th Anniversary concert, Thank you for the Music. You probably know that most of our concerts are 'themed', and I thought at fi rst it would be easy having hardly any theme at all for this concert beyond what has connections with the last thirty years. Of course, it turned out that almost anything is connected in some way and it was difficult to cut down the suggestions to what we could fi t into an evening.

Star Wars Saga was a must. This splendidly arranged selection is one of the very best fi lm score adaptations for band, it is 'of the period', and it makes a fi ?? ing fi nale for the concert. Colonial Song and the Dvorák fell into place to give the brass a breather before Star Wars.

Mamma Mia! and Queen in Concert were good choices to capture the mood of the time in the 1970s when the band came into being, but most of the other pieces could have been replaced many times over with choices equally engaging and appropriate. However, choices have to be made. English Folk Song Suite and Stephenson's Rocket slipped in as examples of fi ne music written specially for band, while Light Cavalry Overture and Spitfire Prelude and Fugue are firm favourites, the latter being from that select group of 'biggies' that are really suited to opening a concert rather than closing it.

Mack and Mabel has been more popular with brass bands than wind bands, so including it is a glance back at my own involvement with brass bands. I feel sorry for it too, such great music not played as often as it might be (largely because although you can fi nish an opera knee-deep in corpses, heroines of musicals dying is bad box office).

Finally, 'the show ain't over till the fat lady sings'. It's highly likely we may introduce a surprise or two before, during or after this lot.

Spitfire Prelude & Fugue – WILLIAM WALTON
English Folk Song Suite – RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Overture: Light Cavalry – FRANZ VON SUPPÚ
Queen in Concert – QUEEN arr. JAY BOCOOK
Stephenson's Rocket – NIGEL HESS
Mack and Mabel – JEFFRY HERMAN arr. ROBERT ELY
Mamma Mia! the musical – BJÖRN ULVAEUS & BENNY ANDERSON arr. PETER KLEINE SCHAARS
Colonial Song – PERCY GRAINGER
Moderato, quasi marcia from Serenade Op 44. – ANTONNÍN DVORÁK
Star Wars Saga – JOHN WILLIAMS arr. JOHAN DE MEÉ