Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

The roots of the Black Dyke Band can be traced back to 1816, and it is currently the most recorded brass band in the world, with over 300 recordings to its name. It also claims to be the most successful contesting band in the world, and all this leads to a certain level of expectation of the 29 players and Dr Nicholas Childs, the musical director! You might wonder what a "world class march" is, and the CD notes suggest that the essential elements are "strong, memorable melodies, attractive harmonies and inner rhythmic vitality. . . and a leanness of design" as well as being fun to play. The 18 marches chosen here are mostly from what is considered to be the golden age of the Salvation Army march, 1920-1960, beginning with George Marshall's Advent 1923 march "The Liberator," as well as some more modern inclusions - Leslie Condon's 1982 "Exeter Temple" was written for the 100th anniversary of the Exeter Salvation Army centre and includes a majestic rendition of the hymn tune "Rachie (Who Is On The Lord's Side?)" and James Anderson's 1989 "Goldcrest" has overt music hall leanings, the clever integration of "I've Got The Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down In My Heart" and Hollywood film-style ending giving it a real sense of fun. So, going back to that level of expectation. . . it is certainly well fulfilled. The performances are full of vitality and dynamism, and it sounds as if the players really enjoy their playing. They have excellent control, effectively covering the whole dynamic range with a beautifully smooth, rounded sound when soft and a victorious, martial sound when loud. I suspect a lot of work has gone into rehearsing, but the end result sounds effortless and therefore thoroughly recommended to brass band aficionados. It is, of course, a niche release - you do need to be very fond of the march genre if you're buying this CD, or you'll be somewhat marched out long before you reach the end!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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What makes a march 'world class'? Most listeners would agree that strong, memorable melodies, attractive harmonies and inner rhythmic vitality to be essential elements. The American march king, John Philip Sousa, pointed out in his autobiography, Marching Along, that the composer of a march must also hone and refine his craft so as to be economical in means chosen. "[A March] must be carved with unerring skill. Once padded, it ceases to be a march."

The majority of the 18 marches chosen here for this second volume of World Class Marches of The Salvation Army share both the first three traits and leanness of design. They have the added merit of being fun to play. If the band members don't also have joy in the performance, the march will fail, regardless of compositional technique. Writing a great march is not an easy task and only a few marches out of thousands transcend their time. Within this volume most come from the golden age of the Salvation Army march, essentially 1920-1960, though a few 'modern' scores have been added that take the listener as far as the late 1980s.