Guy Barker’s 9th Big Band Christmas

When I reviewed the first of these shows in 2016, I wrote: “Whisper it quietly, but this could just possibly be the start of a new tradition.” Phew. Got one right. The whole event has a winning formula, it attracts a wide range of generations, the Royal Albert Hall is the ideal place to supersize a Christmas party, and Guy Barker and the team around him dream up all kinds of new ideas to keep the whole thing busy, fresh and a great occasion with a lot of warmth, humour and music – and a set of superbly characterful arrangements using all the colours of that the band can offer.

Among the people on stage, there were certainly some constants (or maybe just echoes) from previous years. Clare Teal in the dual role of co-presenter and singer is an integral part of the proceedings, and does a great job. The way she sang “Jump for Joy” to get the first half going was ideal, and Vincent Youmans’ song “Great Day” set just the right upbeat mood again at the beginning of the second half. Another singer who was at the first edition of this series and re-appeared last night was Vanessa Haynes who delighted a very full hall with “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

Paloma Faith, who worked with Guy Barker early in her career, had real presence and sang powerfully and well. Ian Shaw also knows the buttons to press to make the Albert Hall shrink and become an intimate venue, and Tony Momrelle took his opportunities to shine. Giacomo Smith did some inspiring, finger-busting clarinet playing, notably on a breakneck-paced “After You’ve Gone”.

As well as the stalwarts out front, there are stalwarts in the band too, from pianists Jim Watson and Peter Edwards, to tenor saxophonist Martin Williams who only ever seems to need a few notes to make a big statement, and powerful Ed Richardson as one of the two drummers. And there is a whole invisible team of RAH people involved too. The sound was impeccable.

There was a lovely moment when Guy Barker expressed his gratitude to Jeffery Wilson for having encouraged and mentored him at vital moments as he developed as a composer, and then (metaphorically) passed on the baton by introducing a current Guildhall student, Jack Murray. Murray had been recommended to Guy Barker by Jeffery Wilson who had got to know him through the Junior Guildhall structure. Murray then directed the band in a specially commissioned new arrangement of “O Tannenbaum”. It was joyous and had some real Mike Gibbs-ian shape and heft to it.

This is a music site, so no apologies are offered for the geekery which is coming up. I just want to celebrate how massive the trumpet section was, and would love to find a picture of them all. Here goes.

If you include Guy Barker himself, who played a lot more trumpet last night than has been normal at this kind of event in recent years, the trumpet section last night consisted of no fewer than ELEVEN players.

I went out on Facebook to see if there were classical works with more than the the eight trumpet parts which which Berlioz (in the Symphonie Funebre and the Requiem) and Mahler wrote for (in the 8th Symphony), and got some interesting answers and learned stuff:

Quite a few people pointed out that the Janacek Sinfonietta has nine, and Andy Williamson pointed out that William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast also has 9. Henry Lowther wrote in with “I once played 13th trumpet in a performance of Richard Strauss’s Fanfare for the City of Vienna. Never played 13th trumpet before or since!” And the conductor Nicholas Collon chimed with what looks like a knockout blow with: “I raise you Khachaturian 3rd symphony. 15 trumpets.” Enough to say that last night’s trumpet section was not just XXXXL (they are listed below, with no shortage of top names) and their collective presence in sound was just spectacular.

In the end, that trumpet celebration was just one of the delights of a very enjoyable evening. I think I counted thirty dancers in the final sequence. And thank you to the team at the RAH for finding a great place for artist Hamley Jenkins to draw the show for UKJN readers!

FIRST SET

Overture
Jump for Joy – Clare Teal
Christmas in Harlem – Clare Teal
Boogie Woogie Santa – Tony Momrelle
Winter Wonderland – Giacomo Smith
Have Yourself a Merry…- Vanessa Haynes
Shake Hands with Santa – Ian Shaw
This Christmas/ Santa Baby- Paloma Faith
O Tannenbaum, Arr Jack Murray
Man with the Bag – Clare Teal
Quincy Jones Medley:
– On Days Like These
– Self Preservation Society
– Miss Celie’s Blues
– Ease on Down the Road

SECOND SET

God Rest Ye Merry
Great Day – Clare Teal
I Believe in Father Christmas/ Greg Lake – Ian Shaw
Remember – Tony Momrelle
After You’ve Gone – Giacomo Smith
Only Love Can Hurt Like This – Ploma Faith
Christmas Prayer – Paloma Faith
Goiing Up Yonder – Vanessa Haynes
Jingle Bells Mambo
FINALE : Runnin Wild/ Yes Indeed/ All Night Long (Paloma Faith)/Traffic Jam
Encore: Hey ba ba ree bop

PERSONNEL

Guy Barker
The Guy Barker Orchestra

GUESTS:
Paloma Faith (with Janelle Martin and Shanice Steele, Backing Vocals)
Clare Teal
Ian Shaw
Giacomo Smith (clarinet)
Tony Momrelle
Vanessa Haynes
Jack Murray (guest conductor)

ORCHESTRA

Trumpets: Nathan Bray, Tom Rees Roberts, Ryan Quigley, John Barclay, Martin Shaw
Extra trumpets: Alex Maynard, James Davison, James Copus, Tom Walsh, William Heselton

Trombones: Alistair White, Nichol Thomson, Winston Rollins, Mark Frost (bass)

Saxes/ winds: Graeme Blevins, Sam Mayne, Martin Williams, Alex Garnett, Jessamy Holder

Piano: Jim Watson (also organ), Peter Edwards

Bass: Ferg Ireland

Guitar: Al Cherry

Drums: Sebastiaan de Krom, Ed Richardson

Violin 1: Warren Zielinski, Ellie Consta, Daniel Bhattacharya, Hat Davies, Hayley Pomfrett, Savannah Brown

Violin 2: Anna Szabo, Miles Brett, Anna Croad, Steph Cavey, Hazel Correa

Viola: Elisa Bergersen, Natalie Taylor, Lucy Morgan, Nikki Hicks

Cello: Nick Holland, Katherine Jenkinson, David Kadumukasa