ON a glorious mid-summer evening just made for festivity, the Calderdale Music Service once again did their audience proud – in the shade of the Square Chapel.
From the moment the whistles blew, Latin American style, to get the first number Livin' La Vida Loca, off to a flying start, we knew we were in for a great night. The Halifax Music Centre Band did not disappoint with any of their well-known themes from the Pink Panther, The Simpsons and Mission Impossible.
The Samba Band, formed as recently as January, and chiefly consisting of lads hardly bigger than their drums, got a good groove going on an extended piece of reggae. Tremendous!
Boulders Brass, featuring Year 4 pupils from Hebden Bridge, is also a recently-formed ensemble of excellent musicians given to wearing funny headgear. Under the direction of the evening's MC, the inimitable Dennis Hadfield, they excelled with a varied programme which ranged from the beautiful old hymn, Now The Day Is Ending, to Bob Dylan's iconoclastic Blowing In The Wind. What a debut!
After the interval, the Adult Class Orchestra showed their age, and ability, playing sedate and sonorous pieces, before giving way to the Percussion Ensemble which splendidly revived My Grandfather's Clock, old enough to have been made famous by George Formby's father!
Finally the Calderdale Youth Wind Band blew up a storm with, among others, Strauss's fabulously stomping Radetsky March.
Andrew Liddle