Following stunning success at Exeter Cathedral Carol Concert and other concerts during the last 25 years, this month Exeter College Big Band will take up its regular annual slot at the Barnfield Theatre for the climax show of the year, at 7.30pm on Wednesday, June 16 – The Big Gig 2010. As always, the event promises to be a bold and brassy blast of an evening for the College and public alike.

Familiar classics such as Come Fly With Me have already been earmarked for Exeter College Big Band’s 25th birthday bash, and a good mix of instrumental showpieces have been promised on the night too, ranging from the swing era right up to more modern arrangements such as Charles Mingus’s Moanin’.

Also thrown in to the programme for good measure will be Big Swing Face from the Buddy Rich Band and Dizzy Gillespie’s A Night In Tunisia, not forgetting, of course, Frank Sinatra’s That’s Life, I Get A Kick Out Of You and Let’s Face The Music And Dance.

Band director Brian Moore, of Exeter College, says: “A particular feature of this year’s concert will be the huge range of songs and vocalists. Exeter College has a very strong tradition of producing great young singers, and this year is no exception.”

Described by Brian as a concert that is going to be an apt tribute to the Big Band’s 25-year history, and to all the members who have passed through it during that time, he adds that it is also a fitting way to celebrate the achievements of its founder, Exeter College music lecturer Io Pugh, with whom Brian has co-run the band for the past decade.

Brian adds: “Io has encouraged and inspired young musicians in the band for such a long time. It is sad that, because of illness, he will not be on stage with me this year. But the range and quality of musicianship in the show will be a real testament to the lasting legacy that Io has produced in his many years at the helm.”

The Big Gig takes place on Wednesday, June 16, at 7.30pm. Tickets, priced £8 (£5 concessions), are available from the Barnfield Theatre Box Office on 01392 270891