AIREBOROUGH Rotary’s charity concert (Yeadon Town Hall, October 30, 2022) opened with ‘Fanfare and Flourishes’ which produced a huge sound featuring a prominent musical theme from Charpentier’s ‘Te Deum’. ‘Music for the ‘Royal fireworks’ followed beginning slowly and majestically with its double dotted rhythms and continued into brisk stately triple time.

Cornettist Jim Hayes, Frank Renton’s selected soloist excelled throughout this afternoon performance. He began in style with ‘You know my name’ mirroring his Johnny Midnight pseudonym with the theme from a James Bond movie.

The ever popular South Pacific selection covered the main tunes from the 1950s musical. It enabled Frank Renton to relate a story told to him by a BBC producer that Princess Elizabeth attended a performance of this her favourite musical with her father George VI before leaving soon after for Kenya.

The Hepworth Band’s euphonium soloist James Blackford in England for a year from Australia, delivered an amazing rendition of ‘Rule Britannia’. Starting the theme with a beautiful warm tone he then proceeded to delight the audience with some slick triple tonguing in the ensuing variations. Nimrod, a popular choice, followed played with great sensitivity and control.

In introducing Brahms’s ‘Hungarian Dance No. 5’ Frank described South American Rafael Mendes’ ability to include in his repertoire classical, popular and Mexican folk music. Though usually played by an orchestra or on a violin, this unusual arrangement was handled with consummate skill by the talented Jim Hayes.

William Matthias’ six movement ‘Vivat Regina Suite’ with a pre-warning from the conductor to his audience not to applaud too early, revealed the variety in abundance in this Welsh composer’s music. Introduced as a simple arrangement of ‘The Day thou gavest’ the audience heard some lovely sustained playing of this popular old hymn tune – sound magic in Frank Renton’s words.

Jim Hayes’ final opportunity to show his artistry was in the bluesy jazz ballad, ‘Cry me a river’ , written for Ella Fitzgerald to sing in a 1920s set film, lengthily applauded by his appreciative audience. ‘Shine as the Light’ was a real tour de force for the whole Hepworth Band. There was some virtuoso playing from the percussion section especially on the xylophone and the tubular bells. ‘Pomp and circumstance’ provided an apt finale with people quietly joining in with ‘Land of Hope and Glory, (unable to help themselves!)

The ever popular Frank Renton departed with the promise of a 22nd return in October 2023.

by Mitzi Whitham and Robert Mirfield