The centenary concert of Cornish composer, George Lloyd, took place on Friday 28th June to great success, even more poignant as this was the composers 100th Birthday to the day. An exceptional concert given by Camborne Band under the direction of Kevin Mackenzie and Cornwall Youth Brass Ensemble led by Gareth Churcher kicked off the George Lloyd centenary celebrations at the St Ives Guild Hall in fine fashion.
A capacity audience were provided with an entertaining and varied programme by the South West Champions on great form under Kevin Mackenzie. Lloyds iconic March HMS Trinidad got the evening off to a rousing start. Later in the year the same march will replace Fantasia on British Sea Songs at the Last Night of the BBC Proms in a fitting tribute to a composer who’s enigma has never diminished.
The band then continued with another centurion composer in Benjamin Britten; his Spider and the Fly brought a contrast to Camborne's programme and was well received from an appreciative audience. CYBE took the spotlight with and array of pieces with included the middle movement to Lloyd's Symphony No 10 ‘November Journeys’, a well presented performance from some gifted young brass players.
Camborne Band finished the first half with Percy Fletcher's Labour and Love, commissioned by John Henry Iles and written in 1913 for the National Championships in Crystal Palace. Fletcher’s work (the first composed for Brass Band), is pickled in aspic, a musical curio from a compositional talent still relevant today as it was 100 years ago. Both ensembles joined together to start the second half with Richard Straus’ Fest Musik der Stadt Wien, a rousing opener before CYBE went on to play a set which included Miniature Trypich.
Lloyd's nephew, William Lloyd, said: "St Ives and Cornwall were both very important to George Lloyd. He was proud to be a Cornishman, and he retained his fascination with Cornish archaeology and mythology throughout his life, so it is immensely pleasing that his home town of St Ives has organised this centenary celebration in his honour. Although his centenary year is being celebrated all over the country by our most prestigious musical institutions, I have no doubt that this recognition from the town of his birth would have touched him as deeply as anything."
Camborne band concluded the concert with Principal Cornet, Darren Hendy, giving a fine rendition of Londonderry Air, before the band play the Lloyd's Royal Parks in entirety. This piece, written in 1985 for the European Brass Band Championships, is in three movements; 'Dawn Flight', the ever haunting In 'Memoriam' which was dedicated to the bandsmen who lost there lives in a bomb explosion in Hyde Park in 1982, and the more up tempo 'Holidays'. With the audience on there feet showing there appreciation the band flew into their encore of Shostakovich's Folk Festival.
This was an evening to remember for all present as the George Lloyd Centenary year gets into full swing. The St Ives concert is the first of a series taking place around Cornwall this year. Surrey Opera will give two performances of George Lloyd's first opera Lernin on November 1 and 2 at St John's Hall in Penzance, while the Three Spires Singers and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales will be performing his Symphonic Mass in Truro Cathedral on November 23.