Stan Tracey Orchestra: Clark Tracey (conductor), Stan Tracey (piano), Andy Cleyndert (double bass), Mike Smith (drums), Guy Barker, Mark Armstrong, Tom Walsh, Bruce Adams (trumpets), Mark Nightingale, Alistair White, Pete North (trombones), Jay Craig, Simon Allen, Alan Barnes, Sam Mayne, Mornington Lockett (reeds), Norma Winstone & Niall Hoskin (vocals) & Junior Laniyan (tap dancer) + Paul Miles-Kingston (Director of Music St. Peter’s School), St. Peter’s School Choir & St. Peter’s Choral Society
Duke Ellington’s sacred music has been performed on but a handful of occasions over the last twenty five years. It is a big undertaking – logistically and financially – and it requires a big space for the music to be heard at its best. The imposing grandeur of York Minster on a warm spring evening offered the perfect setting for the Stan Tracey Orchestra with choir and chorus to play to a congregation of some 1500 people. The Ellington Orchestra’s First Sacred Concert performance featured Cootie Williams and Cat Anderson in the trumpet section, Lawrence Brown (trombone) and a half-decent saxophone section of Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope and Harry Carney. York Minster 2012 featured the very best musicians from the UK jazz world: A-list trumpeters Guy Barker and Bruce Adams, Mark Nightingale (trombone) and the reeds of Jay Craig, Simon Allen (a sensation at the Sage Gateshead in December with Stan Tracey), the ubiquitous Alan Barnes, Sam Mayne and Mornington Lockett guaranteed a memorable occasion. The rhythm section of Mike Smith (drums) and bassist Andy Cleyndert working alongside the man himself – Stan Tracey – ensured it swung all night long. Opera singer Niall Hoskin shared vocal duties with the magnificent Norma Winstone (Come Sunday a highlight among highlights). During communion Stan Tracey played a Meditation of infinite variations and the service concluded with Junior Laniyan tap dancing up the nave (a thousand camera flashes!). A triumph!
Russell
Thanks Russell - in the words of another Ellington composition I've got the Blues To Be There.
ReplyDeleteyes thanks from me too, so sorry I couldn't make it
ReplyDeleteLiz
I went to the Stan Tracey orchestra performance of Ellington's sacred music at Durham Cathedral many years ago. It was one of the most memorable and moving musical experiences of my life.
ReplyDeleteWe had a wonderful evening, and the orchestra were extremely complimentary about our choir (they say it was as good as any they have ever worked with and they would consider returning to work with us again, so we’re quite chuffed about that! There were about 250 in the choir and they made a magnificent noise alongside the band).
ReplyDeleteMrs Joanna Appleby
Music Department Secretary
St Peter's School, York YO30 6AB