Review | Brighouse and Rastrick Band at the RNCM International Brass Band Festival

An Incredible Finale to the RNCM International Brass Band Festival from Brighouse and Rastrick Band

As far as finales go, you couldn't get much better than Brighouse and Rastrick's performance, led by guest conductor David Bremner, on the last day of the RNCM International Brass Band Festival. It was a showcase of virtuosity and heroism with a superstar dep who saved the day by taking to the stage at a moments notice.

Warp and Weft by Dani Howard

Brighouse Band opened their concert Warp and Weft, which was commissioned by Grimethorpe Colliery Band in 2023. This is an incredibly clever work made up of lots of intricate melodic elements, that are expertly woven together to create a rich tapestry of sound. I absolutely loved it!

Cornet Concerto by Denis Wright, Performed by Tom Smith

There is no doubt that Tom Smith is one of the best cornetists of our generation and his performance of Denis Wright's Cornet Concerto was something to behold. This work is a gargantuan test of technical virtuosity, as well as lyricism and musicality and Tom delivered it with such incredible style and control throughout. It was one of the best solo performances I've seen in my 21 years as a bander and I mean that without a shred of hyperbole - the magnificence of this performance cannot be understated. This was a highlight of the whole festival.

Silver Rose by Liz Lane

Another festival highlight for me was Liz Lane's incredibly evocative, Silver Rose. It's hard to fully articulate how powerful this work is, if you haven't heard it live, but I'll try my best to do it justice.

Silver Rose consists of five musical movements based on the poetry of Isaac Rosenberg, who sadly died in action during World War 1. The choice of his texts used within the work reflect on the atrocities of war and the hope for piece. The performance at the Brass Band Festival included the narration of these texts from Dr Micha Lazarus, who is a direct descendent from Isaac Rosenberg, which made it all the more poignant.

Make no mistake, this work isn't simply narration set to music; it felt like a concerto of spoken word, with both Rosenberg's poetry and the music of the band working hand in hand to paint a vivid and, in places, emotionally traumatic picture of the human experience in the dark days of the first world war. Toward the end of the piece, the band stood to play a warm, but deeply emotive hymn-like section and the lights dimmed to pay tribute to the lives lost. It was a respectfully moving performance of a resonant and impactful work from Liz Lane - her writing is pure artistry in sound.

Rococo Variations by Edward Gregson

Brighouse and Rastrick Band's musical tribute to Edward Gregson in celebration of his 80th birthday was the composer's 'Rococo Variations'. Like many of us, I've heard many a performance of this work, but not one quite as unique as this. With every note, the band brought this piece to life in stunning technicolour. There was so much energy in this rendition from the full-bodied sound of the ensemble to the stunning solo offerings from around the stand. There wasn't a hint of fatigue in the delivery of this test piece, considering how full-on the first half of this concert was. A highlight from this performance was the beautiful playing of the band's Repiano cornet, Alicia Davis when she briefly switched to flugel in a lamenting duet with Mike Eccles - it was divine.

Saxon by John Psathas

John Psathas' exhilarating Saxon opened up the second half of the band's performance. This was my first time hearing this piece - shocking, I know, considering the piece received its premiere in 2000. This was the composer's first piece for brass band; commissioned by the New Zealand Brass Bands Association as the A-Grade test piece for the Shell Millennium International Bands festival. It's quite a dark, intimidating work with plenty of technical tests and tricky solo moments. The band handled this piece with expert dynamic control and rhythmic accuracy, it was fantastic.

According to Brass Band Results this piece hasn't since been picked as either an own-choice or set work test piece for any British competitions, which I think is a real shame and I do hope the panel would consider picking this piece up.

Ka mate te reo i te reaka kohati by Estella Wallace transcribed by David Bremner

This was a beautiful transcription of a moving work from the pen of an incredibly talented young composer from New Zealand, whose passion for her Māori heritage and language was showcased in the original version piece that was transcribed for brass band by David Bremner. 'Ka mate te reo i te reaka kohati' was originally written by for 8-part voice by Wallace when she was in Year 13 and won the 2022 SOUNZ-NZCF Te Reo Māori Choral Composition Award in 2025. The piece reflects the effort of keeping the Māori language alive and the risk of its extinction if one generation doesn't take up the cause. It's a beautiful work full of heart that was respectfully transposed for the brass band medium by Bremner and superbly delivered by the band.

Waipiro by Gareth Farr

Similarly to John Psathas, Waipiro is the first work Farr composed for brass band and was also commissioned for the New Zealand Brass Band Association for the National Championships in 2000, for the B-section. The piece is inspired by Waipiro Bay, which is a small coastal settlement on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand and also has connotations for the Māori word for liquor, which shares its name with the bay. It's a beautifully descriptive piece with flowing melodies that rise and fall in dynamic like tidal ways and a triumphant vibe throughout. Again, this is a work that I hope to see on the contest circuit in the UK.

Gegensatze by Paul Terracini

The last piece in the band's printed programme (of course, there was an encore!) was a world premiere of the brass band version of Paul Terracini's 'Gegensatze' . The title, when translated from German, means 'contrasts' and was initially written for the German Brass of Hamburg. The work is performed in one continuous movement of an introduction and four distinct sections. The first is inspired 20th century American musical elements. The second utilises the simplicity found in music of the Middle Ages, based on intervals of a perfect fourth and perfect fifth. A recapitulation of the first section follows before an extended version of the second section leads us to the finale.

It's an exciting work with fast moving technical sections and rhythmic, angular melodies. It's incredibly colourful and was a really interesting (like a piece of modern art for the ears), but fun work to finish a vibrant and varied programme from Brighouse and Rastrick.

The Old Chalet by Elgar Howarth

A touching and fitting performance of Elgar Howarth's The Old Chalet, which was frequently used as an encore in many concerts given by the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble (of which Howarth was a founding member), was the band's encore. It's a sweet, emotive work that was presented in such a poignant manner, with a reduced band on stage, dimmed and the euphonium and baritone section spread out around the stage, delivering the piece's melody with such tender care and a beautiful sound. The piece finished with a melodic solo from the band's solo euphonium, Chris Robertson, offstage - as if in the distance. It was an emotive end to a fantastic performance from the band.

Hero of the Hour

I can't write this review without covering the heroic efforts of Rob Westacott, who stepped in at a moment's notice when the band's Soprano Cornet Ashley Marston fell ill during the interval of the concert. In a mismatched uniform of jeans and a band jacket, Rob took to the stage and sightread the second half of the band's programme with such impressive ease, you found yourself forgetting that he was an emergency dep! An awesome display of incredible talent and true bandsmanship.