News » PROMS 2010
PROMS 2010
The ULMS Proms is the highlight of the year’s concert series, and this year was no exception. On good authority we have been told it was the best in recent memory, and some people’s memory goes back seven years.
Once again the concert was well attended, including the Mayor of Lancaster who was most impressed with the night, so much so ULMS will now perform a special concert at Ashton Hall for the Mayor’s designated charity.
The concert kicked off with a fanfare which made the audience jump out of their seats: Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man. This was followed by the Symphony Orchestra who played selections from Bizet’s Carmen Suite, under their Assistant Conductor, Alexander Phillips. The smooth transition between the Orchestra and the Swing Group was covered by the newly formed ULMS String Orchestra and a random assortment of words from the evening’s compere, Duncan Taylor. The swing group played three pieces: A Salute to Benny Goodman, one of the great Big Band leaders, Tickletow, and one of Billy Joel’s biggest hits, Just The Way You Are. Conducting the ensemble were Dominic Treharne and Michelle Butler.
The Trombone Players Gentlemen’s Club followed with a Medley of Queen’s songs entitle Gentlemen: The Queen, before the Big Band under Phil Allcock and Liam Johnson took to the stage. The Big Band featured all Three of its vocalists: Ron Carey sang I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Beth Evans sang New in London, and finally Lucy Rowan gave a rendition of Someone to Watch Over Me. The band brought their set to a close with Vehicle which featured every section of the band. Another small group only formed this year, the Flute Choir, provided some lovely music to cover the change before the choir closed the half. Under Amelia Philips and Suzy Wimbourne, the ULMS Choir, which was voted the Best Ensemble 2010 by ULMS members, performed two pieces not normally billed together: Tippet’s Deep River and Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da.
The second half began with the Symphonic Wind Band, under its Principal Conductor, Max Stannard, performing the impressive Convergence by Roland Barrett. The Wind Band has been championing the music of English composers this year, a theme which will continue into next year with a spotlight on the music of Holst, and “Fantasia on the Dargason” from Holst’s Second Suit in F, conducted by Hannah Ogden gave us a taste of things to come. This was followed by the Barbieshop Choir, which again is a new ensemble to ULMS this year, showing the societies real belief in developing new ideas and talents.
The Brass Band followed, and showed why until recently they held the title of best ensemble, once again bringing an entertaining performance starting dramatically with lights dimmed and the music from Where Eagles Dare. The film theme continued with a Trombone feature, I Will Follow Him (and no there was not a Euphonium feature in Where Eagles Dare, Jonny was missing a chair). The Brass Band closed with I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free, and although it seemed to stray from the film theme with a beautiful horn solo of Amazing Grace played by Zoe Coupland, it soon gave way to a tuba solo and thus begun the well know theme to the show made famous by Barry Norman, Film Night. The raffle and Folk Group provided time to set the stage for the Traditionals. The folk group added a twist to their set playing A-Ha’s Take on Me.
The Traditionals, featuring the ULMS Symphony Orchestra conducted by its Principal Conductor, Simon Gower, a massed choir of ULMS members and the audience singing when appropriate, is a finale to the concert in the style of the BBC Last Night of the Proms. There was much flag waving and joyous singing as the orchestra played Fantasia on British Sea Songs, including Rule Britannia which was ably sung by vocal soloist Toby Collard. During the clarinet cadenza, some of the ULMS members may have got a bit bored as Nick Webb showed off his skill. Some members took out drinks, read the paper, fired party poppers, or tried to disturb Nick’s playing. Others, let’s not name names: Christopher Osborn, Ole Hunt, John Berry, and Lee Allison, removed their pants Full Monty style as Nick played The Stripper, revealing union jack boxers, before running round the Great Hall playing football and rugby. They were joined by Duncan, sporting a large Guinness hat, who clearly was overexcited and needed a long lie down in a darkened room. Jerusalem was followed by Pomp and Circumstance, in which the balloon net was unleashed, dropping them onto the audience who immediately forgot that they were in a respectable concert and began throwing them about whilst singing Land of Hope and Glory. Order was restored with the National Anthem.
The concert was brought to a close with a short speech from the ULMS President Max Stannard, and the presentation of the President’s Award, which this year was awarded to Christopher Wadeson, for his unfaltering commitment to ULMS.
ULMS President Max Stannard paid tribute to the committee’s enthusiasm, team-working and can do attitude, commenting, “It takes a lot of hard work and preparation to pull off a concert like this, but everyone was there to pitch in and no job was too small. There was a real sense of camaraderie with many members also lending a hand. I sure the committee will be delighted that their hard work has paid off producing a brilliant concert which they should all be proud of.”
Katherine Brandwood, who had experienced her first ULMS Proms said, “It was a real success and very enjoyable.” Amelia Clapham was also singing the praises of the concert saying “Proms was a great experience. I enjoyed playing in it and thought all the ensembles sounded great and were very professional.” Straight talking former-President Sam Ogden tells us as it is: “it was a good evening, with some good music”.
By all account the Proms concert, which brought about the end of the societies 30th Anniversary Season, was enjoyed by all and well done to all those involved. It is a great opportunity for the society to build on this success and continue to produce outstanding performances for the next 30 years.
