Cleethorpes Memorial Hall, 27th September 2008

Workshops and Evening Concert

Approaching Cleethorpes Memorial Hall across its car park on a sunny autumn day, the honking of myriad geese fills the air – no great surprise, as Cleethorpes is on the coast and migrating birds are sure to pass over. Not until the hall doors open and the volume rises is it obvious that these are no geese but thirty very young saxophonists warming up energetically on their mouthpieces. The sound is, without any risk of hyperbole, stunning.

But these N.E.Lincs. schoolchildren were no noisome rabble. They'd had just two lessons and knew only 3-4 notes, but with the help of two very supportive local teachers, they were able to set up their saxes without fuss, produce a fine, strong sound and were impressively keen and well disciplined. Embouchures and stamina weren't yet up to extended playing, but there was no slacking in this 1 1/2-hour workshop as Richard Ingham, Claire Tomsett and Cat Evison lead them through a high-energy sequence of off-sax rhythm and co-ordination exercises. Sequences started deceptively simply (clapping on the beat) and built quickly through beat/off-beat grunting, clapping and jumping combinations to high-speed tag-clapping, culminating in an uninhibited kit/break dance routine from Claire that engaged the attention and energies of even the most laid-back participants.

Without pause for breath (literally) the students took up their saxes as Richard led a brisk blow through note revision, dynamic and articulation exercises, supported by NSC members who gave individual attention and encouragement. Introducing a B-A-G riff that Choir players had jammed through earlier, the seemingly tireless Richard then cajoled even the most diffident children into some very spirited improvisation. Tuning wasn't quite up to Wigmore Hall standards, but with Claire's indefatigable bass sax line and backing from Nigel Wood on piano and Julia Cadman on Tubax, the whole exercise had a coherence and momentum that should have given the young players an inspirational start to their improvising careers.

The afternoon saw a second workshop for older students which allowed Richard to work on more advanced soloing techniques with some impressively confident and seasoned improvisers. Nigel concentrated on ensemble skills before introducing the players to the controlled chaos that is a staging rehearsal. Little allowance was made for participants' lack of familiarity with the material or NSC performance practices, and one of the striking features of both workshops was how quickly and calmly the student players responded to the new demands made of them.

All students were invited to participate in the evening concert, a classic Sax to the Max presentation which included the now familiar (though never routine) elements of an introduction to all eight members of the sax family, both individually and collectively through the tightly choreographed Crazy Rag, a soprillo solo from Nigel (Eclogue) and a fully memorized second set. Aria soloists Sally MacTaggart (soprano) and Cat Evison (alto) represented local talent within the Choir with Cat also featuring as composer of Slip Reel. More local talent (senior students' workshop) joined the Choir for Nigel's Under the Veil, when Snake Davis, international super-saxophonist to showbiz stars, gave the latest in a distinguished line of solo interpretations of the mysterious Eastern lady described by the music, this time evoking an exotically bluesy figure. Children always will steal a show and the junior workshop, immaculately turned out in concert gear, weren't going to let this one get away, joining their senior colleagues and the NSC for an appropriately riotous take on Shetland Sequence. Never has the volume and timbre of massed pipe bands seemed more real.

CM Oct '08

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