Life
After Miller
"We
all know the famous Sid Laurence Orchestra or the Midland Youth Jazz
Orchestra, touring Europe playing their fine tunes. But there are many
more in your country which hardly ever get a tion in the International
arena, let alone at home.
Asked
by the British Council to support this band on their first tour abroad,
we gave a positive response. A bit risky though, because we did not
know much of this MORRISTON BI BAND from Wales.
The
band played successfully last week at the famous FLORIADE garden show
near Amsterdam, at MADURODAM in the Hague, at 's-Hertogenbosch (Rosmalen),
at Hilvarenbeek near Tilburg, and made a grand finale in Groesbeek near
Nijmegen. The concert in the Goesbeek theatre was packed with an enthusiastic
audience. The venue was completely full on this warm (30 C) Saturday
evening, the remarkable 17th August 2002. It was a real pleasure to
listen to these devoted musicians. "Swing & Dance" is
the bands motto. Swing, progressive jazz and dancing music with sounds
of Glenn Miller, Stan Kenton, Ted Heath, and many others gave the band
glowing remarks for this concert.
The
Morriston Big Band from Swansea is hot. The band has certainly proved
to be an Ambassador for their country as well as for the revival of
the Big Band sounds produced by such great bands from the past in combination
with the impressive easy listening dancing music of all days.
These
fine musicians,, with some of them as retired professionals in their
midst, mind you, are playing as amateurs for their own fun, as the band's
own Master of Ceremonies explained. The band also produced some good
solo acts. A special mention to the band's own interesting vocalist.
It
is our expectation that we will see this band back on the Continent.
The band has proved that big band music is alive and of all ages. The orchestra
itself has proved to be on the right track. Hopefully this band will
be able to develop further and will be given the opportunity, support
and new grants in order to promote these big band sounds and entertain
music lovers at venues as well as attract more young promising musicians.
you
people in Wales can certainly be proud of this Morriston Big Band: remember
this band. Catch them if you can: go and listen for yourselves!"
Taken from an article by PETER SLEE appeared in The South Wales Evening Post Monday September 11 2006 :-
Traditionally, it has always had something of a, well soggy reputation is probably the kindest way to describe it.
The heavens have opened for the last two years in a row on Swansea's Proms in the Park.
And in the two or three years before that umbrellas and mackintoshes have always been at the ready.
What a difference then on Saturday night.
Great weather, great music, great singers and great crowds at Singleton Park.
Ten thousand people in fact. The highest ever number for a Proms event in the city.
And when it comes to good old fashioned singalongs, they don't come much better than this!
Michael Ball, Aled Jones and Shan Cothi were centre stage for the Night.
But it was the thousands of flag-waving singers in the crowds who were the stars joining with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Morriston Big Band.
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