BBC Big Band – Birmingham Rep ★★★★

George Gershwin and Cole Porter are names synonymous with some of the early twentieth century’s most iconic tunes (I Got Rhythm, Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love), and I’ve Got You Under My Skin to name three).  Gershwin was a composer of jazz, popular and classical music (including the opera Porgy and Bess, written just two years before his untimely death at 38).  Porter found success writing music which would dominate both the Broadway stage and Hollywood screen, and be immortalised by such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Peggy Lee.  Choice selections from the rich back catalogue of the two composers make up the programme for the BBC Big Band’s concert, paying homage to these musical giants.

The history of the band can be traced back almost a hundred years, when the BBC Dance Orchestra was formed in 1928.  The 1950s saw a modernisation to the structure of the group and the BBC Showband, with a greater leaning toward jazz and strings, was born.  It was in 1964 that the term “BBC Big Band” was first coined, being the brass, reed and rhythm section of the BBC Radio Orchestra and the go-to team for jazz recordings.  The current Musical Director, Barry Forgie, has conducted the band on a regular basis since 1977.

Forgie, a sprightly octogenarian, provides insights into the works of Gershwin and Porter in between the songs (several of which feature his own arrangements).  His wealth of knowledge and good humour make him an ideal host, and it is clear that his passion for the music has not diminished in any way.