Holy Trinity Church, Hastings, 20 August 2014

Tower Brass may be an ad-hoc group of local professional brass players but they caused quite a stir at yesterday’s lunchtime concert. From behind a screen at the far west end of the building they opened with a transcription of Mr Valiant for Truth from Vaughan-Williams’ Pilgrim’s Progress arranged for them by Roger Wilcock. This electrifying start led to a series of pieces spread around the building. Monteverdi’s Domine ad Adiuvandum  – familiar as the opening sinfonia from Orfeo- came from east and west ends, Palestrina’s Jesu, Rex Admirabilis from the south aisle and Pitoni’s Cantate Domino from deep in the chancel. But of these roving performances perhaps the most thrilling was Gabrielli’s Sonata Piano’e Forte with its fine antiphonal and echo effects ringing round the church.

Experimentation is always welcome even if it sometimes fails. An arrangement of Bach’s D minor Toccata, normally an organ piece, was one such. Given that it was almost certainly written for solo violin its transmission to brass ensemble became somewhat ponderous. A pity for what followed returned us to the immediacy of the earlier works. An arrangement by Jim Alexander of Rheinberger’s Abendlied using the soft voices of three flugelhorns was wonderful and segued effortlessly into a fine horn solo in Jeanie with the light brown hair. El Gato Montes brought us into the world of the bull-fight and demonstrated the fine articulation of the players.

The concert ended with The Saint’s Hallelujah – a combination of the Alleluia Chorus and When the Saints Go Marching In – and a chance for all the players to show off their improvisatory and jazz skills.

The highly enthusiastic welcome should hopefully ensure they are encouraged to return.