Brass Pack launch Harrogate Music Festival in style

Mike Lovatt’s Brass Pack make a welcome return to North Yorkshire this month when they open the HACS Harrogate Music Festival at the Royal Hall on Thursday, June 26.

The trumpet virtuoso and his hugely popular band will bring a touch of nostalgia and glamour with their Brass Hits Hollywood show, featuring their take on classic songs from the movies, including famous numbers from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, South Pacific and Gone with the Wind, through to a big John Williams suite that includes Star Wars, Harry Potter and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Joining them on stage will be singer Anna-Jane Casey, best known for her work in musical theatre, who will be singing songs like ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’, from Funny Girl, and ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’ from My Fair Lady.

Lovatt describes Brass Pack, which will feature 25 musicians on stage, as a brass orchestra rather than a typical brass band. “There are a few little surprises and hopefully the audience will enjoy our take on music that they’re used to hearing in other ways,” he said.

Brass Pack started out as a lockdown project and was inspired by the iconic 1958 album, Big Fat Brass, featuring music arranged and composed by Billy May, the acclaimed American trumpeter and composer who wrote arrangements for the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.

Lovatt, who is also an in-demand recording artist and music teacher, has played as Principal Trumpet of the Grammy-nominated John Wilson Orchestra and worked with many famous names including Michael Bublé, Seth MacFarlane, Quincy Jones and US soprano Jessye Norman.  

Speaking ahead of Brass Pack’s appearance in Harrogate, Lovatt said: “I hope the audience will be uplifted and inspired by our passion for this great music, our attention to detail, and the incredibly talented musicians we share the stage with. Above all, I hope they will feel our tremendous love for performing soaring out across the hall.”

Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said: “We are delighted to welcome Mike Lovatt’s Brass Pack back to Harrogate. They opened the Festival two years ago and went down a storm and I’m sure they will do so again.”