6-11 July 2009
Tuscany 2009, being the first Big Band tour since one to Greece in 2000, was much anticipated by pupils and teachers in the music department. As the trip encroached, practises became more frequent and focused whilst the band became increasingly excited to make their mark on the continent. When the tour finally came around, no one was disappointed.
After travelling from Gatwick in the early hours of the morning, the big band, with bandleader Simon Currie and his family, Mr Stinton, Mr Dawswell and Mr Badlerson, arrived in the charming town of Montecatini on Monday 06 July. The tour was off to a surprisingly quick start as the band embarked on the local restaurant for pizza after briefly checking in to our comfortable hotel. Following lunch, we took a train up to the top of a mountain in the heart of the old town. Barely a few hours into the trip, this was a welcome excursion with some startlingly beautiful views of the region. As the day drew to a close, the band returned to the hotel for a pleasant three-course meal before retiring to bed.
Brilliantly the second day retained the excitement of our arrival, as the band travelled to Pisa for sightseeing and lunch. Many chose to embrace a thoroughly Italian experience by eating pizza in front of the leaning tower. In the afternoon, we all went off to the beach for volleyball, fantastic weather and ice cream. After an early supper, the band played their first gig at a bar in Montecatini. I think everyone agreed we were on top form, pulling out the big band classics in front of a large crowd. Mike Summers’ guitar solo and Jack Tinker’s trumpet solo were particularly fantastic - as was Mr Balderson’s performance on tenor sax, which displayed some immaculate playing that had been so modestly concealed at practices. Tim Davies in 2nd year, as the youngest member of the band, also played a brilliantly energetic solo to raptuous applause.
On the third day, our group had a marvellous spell of sightseeing in the truly stunning towns of Sienna and San Gimignano. That evening, although a concert had not been scheduled, the band played an impromptu gig to a sell out crowd of over 60s at a local hotel. I think the audience were impressed, although a few fled the venue after hearing just how loud the big band could play in a confined space. Indeed a video was later posted on Facebook, entitled ‘big band kills old people,’ which showcased the dangerous amplitude of such a large band.
We were scheduled for sightseeing and an evening concert on Thursday (day four), in the startling town of Florence. First, we received a guided tour of the region, which provided some fascinating insights into the work of Michelangelo. We visited Florence Cathedral – the fourth largest in the world – with its magnificent dome, bearing scenes from ‘The Last Judgement’ on its inside roof. Inside the cathedral I was also struck by some beautiful paintings of Dante’s Divine Comedy. In the evening, feeling altogether more cultured, the band arrived at concert venue Piazza L. Ghiberti to play in front of our largest crowd of the tour. Admittedly, upon our arrival, the stage looked so polished and professional we thought we had come to the wrong place. But despite a slightly shoddy and poorly timed trombone ‘walk about,’ the performance was a complete success with Euan Campbell’s singing on ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ receiving particularly hearty applause, and inspiring one audience member to request a rendition of happy birthday. Simon Currie, the leader and conductor of the big band, certainly deserves special mention for his infectiously enthusiastic conducting and determination for the ‘young cherubs’ of the band to get up and solo.
By Friday, an altogether too short tour was drawing to a close. We spent the day in the historic town of Lucca where we picked up some cheap bargains, admired the humbling architecture and played an evening concert, which, for the departing upper sixth, would be their last performance in the big band. The evening did them justice, as crowds gathered off the street to watch the band play and one Italian engaged in some all too enthusiastic, bare-chested dancing, which prompted some mothers to move their children away. A highlight for me was the drum solo, which managed to incorporate all three drummers into a fiercely intricate routine. We were all blown away by Joe Mason’s piano cadenza.
It is certainly fair to say the tour to Italy was a fantastic success with the boys’ only complaint being that it was too short. For me, the tour was so exciting because of its full and brilliantly organised schedule, for which we can thank the tireless efforts of Mr Stinton, Mr Dawswell and Mr Balderson. Moreover, the band’s sheer enthusiasm in concert, provoked by bandleader Simon Currie, was really quite special.
Mark Power Smith
