An epic concert event

The GCB Rocks concert on May 7 was a huge success, with our highest attendance yet at a Downtown Pops concert. We raised more money for our partner charity (the Association for New Canadians) at this concert than we raised at any previous concert in our Downtown Pops series.

It was a fantastic afternoon of music. Each band played 2 selections on their own before coming together to present three pieces together.

The first was Paul McCartney & Wings' classic hit Live and Let Die from the James Bond movie of the same name. The original orchestration by George Martin is central to the song's long-standing success and was carefully rewritten for the concert band format. The song reached #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1973 and was the first Bond theme song nominated for an Academy Award. From the powerful trombone notes to the soaring piccolo lines, this piece was an exciting opener to our collaboration.

Next up was Toto's hit Africa, which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1983. From the opening percussion to the brassy chords and woodwinds, this song was a perfect fit for a our collaboration. With over 850 million YouTube video views and over a billion streams on Spotify, it remains a hugely popular song with millions of people.

We concluded our concert with Armageddon, by Canadian band Prism. Though not as commercially successful as the previous two numbers, it is still a staple on Canadian classic rock radio stations, including local stations Coast 101.1 and K-Rock. At almost 8 minutes long, it includes an epic orchestral opening and closing providing the framework around the rock band section. This one has everything... beautiful French Horn melodies, soaring vocals, full band punches, and powerful timpani rolls.

This collaboration between a concert band and a rock band was the first of its kind in Newfoundland and Labrador.