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You are here: Home / Arts / Review: Thornden Community Wind Band Concert

Review: Thornden Community Wind Band Concert

June 21, 2016 By chippy minton 1 Comment

The Thornden Community Wind Band presented their summer concert, “Round the World in 90 minutes” on Friday 17 June. This was a light-hearted programme of music loosely themed on a trip around the world. Light-hearted doesn’t mean low quality. This was a performance of very high calibre – and great entertainment.

The auditorium was metaphorically became an aeroplane for the concert. The audience were the passengers, the conductor was the pilot, and the band was the engine. We appreciated the range of instruments during the “engine testing” at the start of the concert when a representative from each section played one or two bars of their own choice.

Flying over the Thames.
Flying over the Thames.
Visiting Australia. Thornden Community Wind Band image by Richard Doyle 2016.
Visiting Australia.

I was immediately impressed both by the size of the band and the age range of the musicians – some had barely left school; others were old enough to be drawing a pension. The members come from in and around Chandler’s Ford and Eastleigh – all connected by a desire to make collective music. This surely is an example of “community” at its best.

In the first half, we travelled from Britain to Arabia, via Africa and Europe under the control of Deputy Director of Music, Greg Walker. No, his jokes weren’t any better than at the Spitfires concerts. Each “stop” was characterised with music from the respective country – a wonderful selection of marches, classical pieces, and film tunes. Meanwhile, images projected onto the back screen complemented the music played.

Captain Cole addressing his passengers. Thornden Community Wind Band image by Richard Doyle 2016.
Captain Cole addressing his passengers.
Performing Stars and Stripes forever. Thornden Community Wind Band image by Richard Doyle 2016.
Performing Stars and Stripes Forever.

For the second half, Director of Music David Cole took his place in the flight deck and we continued our tour through Russia and Australia to New Zealand. It’s not physically possible to get further away from the UK without leaving the planet, so we now returned home via North and South America and the Caribbean. The Sailors Hornpipe greeted our arrival back in Blighty, and the audience – sorry, passengers – helped with the patriotic finale by singing along to “Jerusalem” and “Land of Hope and Glory”.

All pieces were expertly played by the band, and both the size of the band and the acoustics of the hall gave the audience a wonderful sound. In some pieces, individual band members showcased their talent as soloists; in others, entire sections stood out – and, indeed stood up.

The band getting involved in El Cumbanchero. Thornden Community Wind Band image by Richard Doyle 2016.
The band getting involved in El Cumbanchero.
The view from the Engine Room of the audience joining the last numbers. Thornden Community Wind Band image by Richard Doyle 2016.
The view from the Engine Room of the audience joining the last numbers.

The Thornden Community Wind Band was formed in 2004 as one of the community ensembles that could benefit from the then newly built Thornden Hall. It originally had barely a handful of members. Friday’s concert featured probably over 60 musicians – evidence of both the enjoyment that playing with the band provides and the love of music there is in the local area.

Image credit: all images by photographer Richard Doyle

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Tags: arts and crafts, Chandler’s Ford community, community, concert, Eastleigh, entertainment, event, local interest, music, review, social, Thornden Hall, Winchester Road

About chippy minton

I've lived in Chandler's Ford and Eastleigh for most of my adult life, having recently returned after seven years in north-west Hampshire (though remaining a regular visitor to the area).

I work in IT, and my hobbies include bell ringing, walking and cycling. I volunteer with St John Ambulance and am also a self-confessed “born-again runner” having discovered parkrun in 2015.

I enjoy watching live theatre and music, and try to watch many of the shows that are performed in the Eastleigh area.

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  1. Janet Williams says

    June 22, 2016 at 9:01 am

    I love seeing people sharing their passion and doing what they love. The beautiful thing of such a music group is that people of all cultures and ages could all join and share their talents and love for music, and form a tribe which benefits themselves (young and old) and people around them (the audience).

    They are other talented music groups in our area, including The Spitfires – the 14th Eastleigh Scout and Guide Band, 1st Chandler’s Ford Boys’ and Girls’ Brigades, and many singing groups such as Eastleigh Fusion Choir.

    We are truly lucky living in Chandler’s Ford – always surrounded by the beauty of music.

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