Review: Blackburn & Darwen Band with Failsworth Community Band @ Thwaites Empire Theatre, Blackburn (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Review: Blackburn & Darwen Band with Failsworth Community Band @ Thwaites Empire Theatre, Blackburn

7:13pm Sunday 31st July 2011 in Gig reviews

A large audience the Thwaites Empire Theatre got the chance to hear two bands on top form.

The first half of the concert was performed by the hosts Blackburn and Darwen Band and the second half was handed over to the Failsworth Community Band.

The theme for the evening was Popular Music and both bands played plenty of well known classic songs.

From the start of the concert with Copacabana to the conclusion of the first half B&D band threw itself enthusiastically into all sorts of varied pop based music, ably conducted as usual by Nick Sheppard.

There was time for a couple of jazz classics featuring two excellent soloists Becky Stead and Sean Houlton.

It was totally different to a traditional brass band concert but the audience loved it.

The second half featured the Failsworth Community Band under the direction of Matt Garlick.

Fronting the band were several superb singers including Matt Ford, Natalie McGrath and Georgia Povey whilst the band behind them consisted of some quality musicians both young and not quite so young.

The standard of this band was fantastic and they took us through an array of great big band and pop numbers.

As Blackburn and Darwen Band’s reputation grows as an entertaining band, so does the size of the audience.

At this rate a full house is not too far away!

By Sharon Meredith.