FOR their fifth annual visit to Christchurch, the southern counties-based Big Band offered a real nostalgic treat – a brass powered, panache-filled compilation of favourite TV themes and film scores, from Westerns and cop shows to cartoons.

Affable Patrick Peiro introduced the numbers, played lead trumpet and contributed to the vocals, filling in with ad-libs and plugs for the Christmas CD.

The tributes to TV classics flowed from the 60s onwards. America, unsurprisingly, dominated with such stand-outs as Batman, The A Team, Mission Impossible and Cagney and Lacey, right up to The Simpsons, with Magnus Mckie filling in for Lisa Simpson on sax.

British tunesmiths, though, were given their due, with Nick Kennedy’s captivating soprano sax performance of Acker Bilk’s Stranger On The Shore and a splendidly sleazy version of The Stripper, recalling Morecambe and Wise’s immortal Breakfast Sketch.

The silver screen evergreen scores included the Bond number Diamonds Are Forever, sung by Karen Pitt in sparkling form, a superbly funky rendition of Shaft, Henry Mancini’s spooky, bluesy Pink Panther, and, with Zoot Suit Riot from Urban Legend, they went out with a bang, Big Band style.

Ray O’Luby