HARRISBURG, Pa. (DAVID N. DUNKLE) -
The
suit coats and white sneakers worn by all five members of the Canadian
Brass are the first sign that, despite their undeniable virtuosity, they
don't take themselves too seriously.
Led by group founder and
chief funnyman Chuck Daellenbach, the Brass combined sublime play with
groan-worthy humor Saturday night at The Forum, when they joined with
Stuart Malina and the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra for the second Pops
concert of the 2012-13 season.
It made for a smile-inducing
evening of music, as brilliant cadenzas from
the music of Duke Ellington, the Beatles and Georges Bizet combined
with comedic jabs like the Canadian title for one of Ellington's
best-known hits, "Take the Train, Eh?"
The concert will be repeated today at 3 p.m. in The Forum.
Malina
and the musicians of HSO opened both halves of the concert sans Brass,
with lovely medleys of well-known music, first from Leonard Bernstein's
"West Side Story" ("Maria," "America" and "Somewhere," among others),
then selections from movie theme master Henry Mancini, including "Days
of Wine and Roses," "Charade" and, of course, "The Pink Panther Theme).
When
the Canadian Brass arrived, they literally sauntered on stage from the
audience while offering up a mournful New Orleans style rendition of the
gospel song, "Just a Closer Walk with Thee."
The evening was a
homecoming of sorts for horn player Eric Reed, who played with HSO
before joining the globe-trotting Canadian Brass two years
ago.
In acknowledgement of Reed's special link to the orchestra,
the ensemble went off-program at one point to present a sparkling
version of the W.C. Handy's classic "Beale Street Blues." As Daellenbach
pointed out, the song was not written with a French horn in mind, but
that didn't stop Reed from tearing it up in a solo passage.
A
highlight of the evening was a trio of Beatles tunes, as HSO and the
Brass combined to demonstrate the timeless elasticity of works by John
Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Trumpeters Christopher Coletti and
Brandon Rindenour traded off the high lead seamlessly on "Penny Lane,"
while trombonist Achilles Liarmakopoulos offered a revelatory solo on
"Blackbird" before all five, ah, came together for "Come Together."
Despite
their seemingly devil-may-care attitude, members of the Canadian Brass
are all stylish and self-confident performers. Malina and the HSO
gracefully accepted a supporting role
for much of the evening, allowing their gifted guests to shine.
While
the Brass is fully capable of operating in a pure classical
environment, they are particularly adept at creating light-hearted and
original takes on familiar music, including Saturday night's comedic
romp through a much-abridged version of the Bizet opera "Carmen."
IF YOU GO
What: Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra Pops, with The Canadian Brass
WHEN: 3 p.m. today
WHERE: The Forum, Fifth and Walnut streets, Harrisburg
TICKETS: $12-$64 (available at door)
INFO: www.harrisburgsymphony.org or 717-545-5527
