Now that's what I call music 2!

Now it's time for a report on our second brass band event of the weekend. We went along to hear Black Dyke Band playing at the Bedford Corn Exchange, in aid of Keech Cottage children's hospice. Black Dyke are one of the top brass bands in the world, and are the current National Champions of Great Britain. The concert was superb - it's quite a while since I've sat and listened to a top brass band playing, and I really enjoyed it. I think Elspeth did too! The highlights for me were Joseph Cook playing Czardas - a tuba solo, and the finale - the march from Resphighi's Pines of Rome. The solo was fantastic, both from an entertainment point of view and for me to marvel at his technique! I've never heard the Pines of Rome live - although I have it on CD, and I would thoroughly, thoroughly recommend anyone with the chance to hear it played live by such a class ensemble to take the chance, because today's performance was phenomenal. I'll run out of superlatives if I try to describe the sound the band made, but I was blown away. All in all, a great weekend of banding, which has made me proud to be a tuba player and a bandsman.