Instruments of Praise: Triangle Brass Band, directed by Michael Votta, Jr., and Brian K. Doyle. Music by James Curnow, William Himes, Benedetto Marcello-Ridenour, Robert Redhead, Pavel Tchesnokov-Hile, Robert Bernar, and Marcia La Reau. (63:10) $15.00, self-published. Available from Triangle Brass Band online at http://www.trianglebrass.org/
The 38 members of the Triangle Brass Band come from all walks of life but are united by their high levels of professionalism and the superb leadership of Michael Votta and Brian Doyle. This CD, the latest in a series, was recorded at East Chapel Hill High School last summer. The engineer was Dwight Robinett, so local collectors will know without being told that this is a superior product. The program is devoted to music in the Salvation Army Band tradition, and the notes, which otherwise skimp on details of individual works (omitting composer and composition dates, for example), provide a good introduction to the genre. Even those who haven’t been saved by the Salvationists will find much of value in this generously-filled and beautifully-played CD, which demonstrates conclusively the excellence of the ensemble and our good fortune in having such an organization here in the Triangle. Many of the pieces are fairly short, but the two substantial works – Himes’ four-part suite, “Aspects of Praise,” and Curnow’s “Laude” (which is led by Doyle) – hold interest over longer spans, and even in the cases of thrice-familiar fare (including the hymn tune Nicaea and “Amazing Grace”) the unusual and invariably beautiful settings make compelling cases for repeat listening.
Support our local performers and do yourself a favor at the same time by obtaining this outstanding CD!
