Brass quintet mixes music and humor to entertain in Irvine

Horns blared and laughter spread on Saturday night as the Canadian Brass jammed before a filled-to-capacity crowd of more than 1,000 students and Philadelphia residents inside Irvine Auditorium. The group, now in its 29th season of existence, is a brass quintet known for combining musical expertise with comedic, if not silly, humor in performances. Comprised of a trombone player, a French horn player, two trumpeters and a tuba player, the Canadian Brass formed in Toronto in the 1970s. The group quickly gained popularity and became known for its widely eclectic repertoire and comedic flare, which the members use to create an interactive performance. The concert, sponsored by WQHS-AM, began with a short performance by the Penn Brass, a student ensemble. The Canadian Brass, clad in its trademark suit and tennis shoe attire, then made its entrance behind the audience, playing the religious ode, "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" while walking up the aisle. The audience members erupted into laughter when Charles Daellenbach, the group's tuba player, joked that they had just finished playing their first encore. True to its billing as a group with broad tastes, the Canadian Brass covered a diverse range of music from Vivaldi to Duke Ellington to the Beatles. Highlights of the evening included Vivaldi's "Autumn" from Four Seasons, Ellington's "Come Sunday" and the Beatles' "Come Together," all of which garnered much applause. But it was the group's Grammy-winning closing number "Hornsmoke," which proved to be the biggest crowd pleaser of the evening, earning a standing ovation. The group, dressed in costumes ranging from a western outlaw to a woman, performed a musical parody of western movies. The group's encore number, "Tuba Tiger Ray," was introduced as a favorite of England's Queen Elizabeth. During this piece, Daellenbach preformed various acrobatic tricks, including a 360-degree tuba spin. He even pretended to throw his tuba into the audience. Many audience members said they were musicians themselves, but their reasons for attending ranged. "I saw them last year and they kicked ass. It just makes for a relaxing evening," College junior Al Silva said before the start of the show. After the concert, performers and spectators alike offered high praise for the show. Daellenbach called Irvine a "beautiful" and "colorful" auditorium. He and the rest of the band members signed autographs for audience members and invited them to check out the group's Web site. And Engineering sophomore Dave Greene said, "The show was awesome. They are a bunch of great musicians."

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