Alford Silver Band played to a packed village hall at Burgh le Marsh last Saturday (17 March).
The two hour concert was introduced by the Mayor of Burgh, Councillor Mrs Barbara Waite, who confessed to being “a groupie” to the popular band.
Under the baton of Assistant Conductor Richard Walker, the band entertained the audience with its slick and professional performance of a wide variety of music from Mozart, through Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones to Andrew Lloyd Webber, and transported it from the gentle Yorkshire dales to the streets of New Orleans and the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Principal Cornet Andrew Taylor played the evocative solo High on a Hill before being joined by fellow solo cornets Tina Wood and Roger West to perform the lively three-part Twelfth Street Rag that had every foot in the hall tapping.
In the second half, Bev Burton gave a faultless performance of the beautiful tenor horn solo If, before the band’s talented young percussionist, Lewis Knight wowed the audience with a drum solo in Celebration, a piece penned by the conductor Richard Walker himself.
But the star of the show was undoubtedly Gladys Waite. Gladys, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday opened the second half with a faultless recital of a poem about her Lincolnshire youth, delivered without reference to notes in a strong and unwavering voice.
Fitting therefore that the band finished its performance with its theme tune, The Lincolnshire Poacher.
“It was a wonderful evening,” said band chairman Martin Briggs after the performance. “With the exception of last year, we have played at Burgh for over 30 years and it is very good to be back. We look forward to returning next year.”
Alford Silver Band’s next concert will be at the Corn Exchange, Alford on Saturday 21 April.