Past Events

Fromeʼs Positive Action on Cancer charity is holding an afternoon of Big Band Style
Swing in Rook Lane Chapel on Sunday 12 June 2011. PAC trustee Sheila Salmon told us “Itʼs very exciting to be working alongside locally-based swing band Opus One to raise awareness as well as much-needed funds for our charity.” The concert is the brainchild of Bernard Wight, co-founder of Opus One. “Our family, like too many others, is having to deal with the daily challenges arising from one of us having a serious cancer condition. I want to use what skills and contacts I have in music to support PACʼs wonderful work.” The charity provides free professional counselling to adults and children affected by life-threatening illnesses.

The idea for Opus One came to Bernard and Julian Scott over a glass of wine when they discovered they had a shared dream of playing big band music but with a smaller line-up. “The standard big band is eighteen-strong, and having fewer than that creates some challenges,” said Julian. “Luckily, Bernard is a very experienced music arranger and has produced carefully-crafted arrangements to make this ʻLittle Big Bandʼ a very exciting unit”.

They recruited experienced local musicians (mainly professional) to form Opus One. There are three saxes and three trumpets backed by piano, bass and drums. “The icing on the cake is having two fine vocalists, Adrienne Hale and Julian Scott, to front the band”, said Bernard.

The fabulous tunes and lyrics of the Great American Songbook will feature strongly, and the programme will also include some Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller etc, as well as more recent music, such as that of Van Morrison and Norah Jones. Through the much-appreciated support of NVB Architects, Rook Lane Chapel will be the superb setting for a terrific ʻAfternoon of Swingʼ.