Leyland Band’s debut performance in the Innsbruck Promenade Concert series enjoyed by an enthusiastic and respectful audience of 2500 despite the rainy weather
Leyland Band travelled to Innsbruck , Austria on the 25th July via Munich in a whistle stop trip to fulfill an eagerly anticipated debut appearance at the prestigious festival held in the courtyard of the Imperial Palace, Innsbruck.
Becoming the first English brass band to appear in the annual series which features an eclectic mix of ensembles from across the continent, Leyland wowed the assembled audience with a program full of contrasting styles, from Suppe’s ‘Light Cavalry’ overture to Dave Brubeck’s ‘Blue Rondo alla Turk’.
James McLeod (solo euphonium) playing ‘Metroplolis’ and principal cornet Pete Shaw performing Jenny Wren were the featured soloists on a night when the whole band rose magnificently to the occasion.
As the evening progressed, the weather improved, the rain stopped and the crowd warmed to the band’s performance, helped in no small part by the band’s musical director Thomas Wyss introducing the entire concert in German.
The show must go on…..
The evening began in dramatic and worrying fashion. Immediately following the band’s pre-concert meal, Bb bass player George Barker was taken ill and rushed to hospital. The band made its way to the Imperial Palace to set up and complete a sound check hoping that George would be ok. Thankfully the Austrian doctors were able to treat him and he recovered enough to make the trip back to Leyland, but unfortunately was unable to join the band in concert, hence the three bass line up above – congratualtions to Colin Doran for a sterling effort in covering. All at Leyland wish George a full and speedy recovery.
Finale preceded by the beautiful Nearer My God To Thee
One of the many highlights of the evening was the playing of and reception for the beautiful setting of ‘Nearer My God To Thee’ by Simon Wood. The audience were silently transfixed which made the huge setting very intimate.
The band ended the concert with a thrilling rendition of the finale from ‘The New World Symphony’, before a standing ovation and a succession of encores.