Friary Guildford have released their long awaited CD 'Letter from Home', showcasing the best of their current repertoire. The 2015 Butlins 'Most Entertaining Band' kicks off the CD with Paul Lovatt-Cooper's popular 'Walking with Heroes' and a swift transcription of Leonard Berstein's overture 'Candide', before turning to film music with Sandy Smith's arrangement of James Horner's score from 'Mask of Zorro'.

 

The first of the solo items follow with the luscious sound of tenor horn soloist, Nigel Stevens in 'Autumn Leaves' and the sheer virtuosic tour de force 'Rule Britannia' from Friary's euphonium soloist, Chris Straker.

 

Musical Director, Chris King's arrangement of Karl Jenkins' 'And the Mother Did Weep' features a quartet and is taken from the hugely popular 'Stabat Mater'. The Band then show their versitility as their ten piece play James Monaco's 'You Made Me Love You' as played by trumpet player Harry James before the full band return with Salvation Army composer Willliam Himes' 'Procession to Covenant', a piece that grows to a truly climactic conclusion.

 

A traditional brass band march follows with 'Mephistopheles' and further solo contributions from flugel and cornet. 'Body and Soul' demonstrates Lauren Straker's smooth, sultry sound in the 1930's Jazz standard and then it's back to the Salvation army repetoire for the hymn setting 'Don't Doubt Him Now' showing off Richard Straker's warm lyrical sound.

 

Friary show off their sensitive side with the title track of the CD 'Letter from Home' by Pat Metheny. This is a skillful arrangement of a piece originally orchestrated with mandolins and guitars - it shouldn't work for brass band but it really does!

 

A zip through Gordon Goodwin's homage to Louis Prima, 'Sing, Sang, Sung' preceeds the ever popular finale to many a Friary concert, Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' featuring some super soprano playing from Simon Tong.