A huge mutual attraction is going on between the Suncoast Concert Band and their newest conductor, Tak Maeda, and it is reflected in the band’s repertoire and in their music. They like him; he likes them. After nine months on the job, Maeda told the audience at a spring concert last weekend that though he commutes from North Vancouver to attend rehearsals, he already feels like the Coast is his community.
“I’m so enjoying this,” he said. That much was obvious when he displays a charming habit of occasionally turning to the audience with a big smile while conducting, as if to share a great piece of music.
Concerts from the Concert Band or any members of the Sunshine Coast Community Orchestra are usually well attended, but this Mother’s Day concert brought out a smaller audience. Most left refreshed by the rousing choices of tunes. The up tempo Cross Creek and the Magnificent Seven theme got motors running and paved the way for a surprise launch of the Band’s first recording, a five-number CD titled Where Mountains Touch the Sky. All five compositions on this recording were contributed by renowned composer Robert Buckley.
“You may not know the name,” Maeda said, “but you’ve heard his music. Buckley’s number one single, Letting Go, earned him a gold record. He has composed for large scale musical events such as the 2010 Olympics, and he has conducted and arranged for such names as Michael Bublé, Bryan Adams and Celine Dion.
The Concert Band performed three pieces from the recording. Dreamcatcher is a new arrangement of a traditional Aboriginal melody. It has a haunting harmony and ends with a delightful fade out. The title track, Where Mountains Touch the Sky, starts quietly and builds to convey grandeur. Another tune, Codebreaker, has a bit of a James Bond movie musical touch to it.
The CD was recorded at the Highland Centre in Gibsons with volunteers completing everything from liner notes to recording soundtrack. Proceeds for the $20 CD go 100 per cent to the Band.
Though the Buckley tunes were a highlight, the concert also included other pieces: the rousing English Suite - The Oak and the Ash, as well as a great showcase for the timpani player, Awakening Hills. The Concert Band is mostly brass and woodwinds, though this group has added the electric bass and percussion. One of the strengths of this band is its backbone: they include the timpanis and the addition of a tuba, perfect for performing musical marches.
The next concert from the Band’s colleagues in the Community Orchestra is on June 12 at 5 p.m. at Highland Centre when the Coast Chamber Strings and the Sunshine Coast Youth Orchestra will perform.
