|
AQUAE SULIS
The first CD by Bath Spa Band is now available, and contains a mixture of
traditional marches, classic brass band pieces, film music and pop songs,
with plenty more thrown in along the way. We hope that you enjoy listening
to it as much as we enjoyed recording it.
Please contact us or come along to one of our
concerts to obtain your copy for just £10.
(Now also available from Duck, Son and Pinker, Bath.)
Aquae Sulis is the Roman name for Bath (literally "the waters of
Sulis"). The naturally-occuring hot spring was treated as a shrine by
the Celts, and was dedicated to their goddess of water, Sulis.
After the Romans arrived in Britain in 43 AD, the Celtic shrine was taken
over and associated with the Roman goddess of healing, Minerva. Worship
to Sulis-Minerva continued at the Roman Baths for the next 4 centuries,
until the collapse of the Roman empire, although the healing power of
the spa water is still sought after today.
As the Band's name is associated with the Spa heritage of the city, we
thought it appropriate to name our first CD after the Roman name for
the city. Our thanks go to Bath & North East Somerset council for use of
the image of the Roman Baths.
In this recording, the first CD to be released by the band, we commence
with the rousing march Arnhem, which leads us on to Gordon Langford’s
West Country Fantasy, a selection of traditional folk songs from this
side of the country. This is followed by the beautiful tenor horn solo of the
Carpenters hit record Rainy Days and Mondays.
Staying in the theme of
pop music, we also have the Beatles’ Ticket to Ride, which whisks us
all the way to New Zealand for the traditional Maori melody entitled Hine
e Hine.
Next, we encourage you to put on those dancing shoes for one of
our most requested tunes, Rock Around the Croc!
Romance and Rondo
is a recent piece from the popular brass band composer Darrol Barry, whereas
Elegy from John Ireland’s A Downland Suite is a brass band classic.
Best of Bond ventures into the movies with some very well known themes,
whilst Only Love came from the TV series Mistral's Daughter and was a
hit song for Nana Mouskouri.
A German march is up next, entitled Gruss an
Thuringen (Salute to Thuringia), which takes us through to the Welsh air
David of the White Rock (Dafydd y Gareg Wen).
Attributed to Henry VIII,
Pastime with Good Company is the oldest piece on this recording, and is
followed by a selection of tunes from Robbie Williams’ tribute to the Rat Pack
in Swing When You’re Winning.
One final trip to the movies for Hymn
to the Fallen from Saving Private Ryan leads us on to our conclusion with
Grand March from Verdi’s opera Aida.
|
|
