On Saturday evening, October 14th, we made our first return to the Victoria Hall in 2023 with a “Sinatra To Bolero” gala concert conducted by our MD Chris Wormald. The programme was to mark 25 years since the passing of legendary American entertainer Frank Sinatra in 1998 and exactly 40 years since British ice dancers Torvill and Dean created their iconic Bolero routine in the Autumn of 1983 in preparation for the Winter Olympics of February 1984. What a great concert it was too, with an audience of hundreds turning out to support us, and another fantastic Eagley night was enjoyed by everyone connected with the band, our Community Choir and Community Band.

We began the evening with a very special Sinatra Overture. This included the stand up Cornet solo I’ve Got You Under My Skin performed superbly by our Principal Lynsey Hayes, who had a stunning concert from start to finish, and our very eclectic programme included everything from Nicaea to Nimrod, Stardust to Strangers In The Night, Radetsky to Resurrection (the closing section of the Mahler symphony), Send In The Clowns to Something (In The Way She Moves) plus Autumn Leaves, Bohemian Rhapsody, Cheek To Cheek, Skyliner, Someone To Watch Over Me, Three Coins In The Fountain and even The Floral Dance before the rousing Bolero finale and a fun encore of New York! New York! sent everyone home very happy.

The choir arrangement of Send In The Clowns featured a stand up quartet of Flugel Horns played by Lynsey Hayes, Becca Crompton, Hollie Lancaster and Janet Walsh and there was even a fun performance of Tchaikovsky’s Valse Des Fleurs performed by a Tuba Sextet comprising our regular Bass section of Lee Hemmings, Will Jordan, Adam John and Ciaran Stranks augmented by Dec Cullen and Chris Wormald on E Flat Basses, with everything tightly marshalled and accompanied by Principal Kit player Leo Turner-Patel

We’re already looking forward to our next Victoria Hall concert on Saturday December 16th at 7.30pm; An Eagley Christmas!