Review of Chatteris Music Society’s Concert featuring The Band of The Queen’s Division at The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul Chatteris on Saturday March 7.

The Church at Chatteris positively buzzed with excitement The Band of the Queen’s Division took their places to begin their concert. The packed audience was not disappointed. It was magnificent.

The band was led by two conductors who had local connections with Netherhall School . They were Captain Jon Milne and Warrant Officer Class 1 Ben Mason. They took it in turn to rouse these highly talented musicians into presenting a wonderfully varied programme played with phenomenal skill.

We stood for the National Anthem and then seated ourselves for a real treat. Normally, you would expect the programme would be filled with traditional march music, but this was not the case. These instrumentalists showed that they can let rip as much as any other jazz or rock band.

Luxurious, full jazz harmonies, rippling cascades , rhythmic accuracy and breath-taking agility were the order of the day while tremendous toe-tapping moments emanated from ‘Anything Goes’, ‘Irving Berlin Showstoppers’ and ‘Sousa’.

A lighter, more expressive touch stirred the heart strings with ‘On Golden Pond’, ‘Over the Rainbow’, ‘Smile’, ‘What a Wonderful World’, ‘Bring him Home’, and ‘On my Own’, many of which featured in house- singers.

Only a band such as this could produce the wild excitement and terror of the darkest moments of ‘Phantom of the Opera’, while the amazingly intricate rhythms and catchy tunes of ‘Cole Porter Spectacular’ captivated us all.

Musician Brendan Gudgeon’s solo on vibraphone in ‘Tribute to Lionel’ was magical and the final pieces, ‘Miss Saigon’ and their traditional marches: The Corps of Army Music and The Queen’s Division rounded this fantastic evening off perfectly.

It was no wonder people had to be turned away for this event, so book early for Chatteris Music Society’s next event on Friday April 24 featuring The King’s Men.

Proceeds from the evening supported SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen’s Families Association) and CAMUS (Corps of Army Music).

Contacts.www.chatterismusicsociety.org.uk tel: 01354 669104 or 01354 692009