"Brass Band of Battle Creek Shines"

No Strings attached - ensemble wows Singletary crowd

Last night the audience at the University Artist Series at the University of Kentucky's Singletary Center for the Arts was privileged to hear one of only two Christmas concerts this year presented by the Brass Band of Battle Creek.

In these fractious political days, it is heartening to see and hear such incredible ensemble playing by musicians who each can, and do, enjoy successful individual careers. These men and women put egos aside and meet to play for the sheer joy and challenges of the music.

Not only are the members of the band a diverse group from all over the country (and a few from Britain), but the repertoire they perform consists of a wide array of styles and genres.   Classical, jazz, big band, operatic, Russian, Latin, American, historic, contemporary, the band, under the direction of Constantine Kitsopoulos, displayed a stylistic flexibility that was nothing short of stunning.

The concert opened with John Williams' Liberty Fanfare, which gave a preview of the delights to come.   Sharp attacks alternated with mellow legatos and muted cornets that sounded as delicate as any woodwinds.   In fact, the audience easily adjusted to the lack of strings and woodwinds as the group, assisted by a strong percussion section, was able to conjure up so many colors and timbres.

This was followed by a Disney medley that shamelessly pulled out every stylistic stop the group could produce, from symphonic grandeur to dance band to pit orchestra to an incredible effect during Alice in Wonderland that can only be described as a vox humana: muted trilling cornets that sounded like a wordless choir.

One of the high points of the concert was a luminous performance of Bach's "Little" Fugue in g minor arranged by Sam Pilafian.   The warm opening fluglehorn subject led to a performance of such control that the slightest crescendo sent a thrill through the audience.

Central Kentucky's own Vince DiMartino was featured trumpet soloist in a Carmen Fantasy of breathtaking virtuosity, combining the screaming high notes of Doc Severinsen with the languid good humor of Al Hirt, and Rafael Mendez's La Virgin de la Macarena, DiMartino never disappoints in these showpieces.   Musical intent doesn't count here, the performer has to hit every note, and DiMartino does.

Local high school students joined the group for Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance No. 1 and the band's trombone section was featured in a gorgeous performance of I'm Getting Sentimental Over You , a Dorsey like arrangement by Lexington Philharmonic trombonist David Henderson.

A few Christmas tunes filled out the program, including a comic arrangement of The Twelve Days of Christmas (though I understand Al Gore asked for a recount).   The concert ended with Stravinsky's Firebird , performed with such power that the closing notes shook the house, bringing people of all ages and backgrounds simultaneously to their feet an inspiring display of unity.