“Hello Chalfest!!”

With a fitting nod to Black Dyke’s recent performance at Glastonbury, Chalford Band opened proceedings on the main stage at the inaugural Chalfest festival.

As the heavens opened under thunderous skies, they opened their set with “The Eve of the War” from War of the Worlds.  The band tried to encourage a change in the weather with Steve Tubb’s own arrangement of “Mr Blue Sky”, and then kept things upbeat with the Rolling Stones classics “Ruby Tuesday” and “Paint It, Black”.

Katie Godwin treated the crowd an effortless rendition of the Streisand hit “The Way We Were”, but special mention must go to Dave Nairn on Solo Trombone, who not only played another Steve Tubb arrangement, “You are the Sunshine of My Life”, but also featured on “Got to Get You into My Life”.

The mood slowed momentarily for a beautiful rendition of “Lament” from “Cry of the Celts”, especially appropriate as it was played by Les Pearse on euphonium, in his last performance with the band.

The set closed with a stirring romp through the Duke Ellington classic “Caravan”