THE lights soften, the mood settles and an audience waits for that first moment of sound. The Big Band is poised, relaxed, but with eyes anxious for the lead. Then, as if giving body to an echo, the murmured notes of Moonlight Serenade… and the night, it seems, is suddenly full and timeless. The Pavilion Theatre in Rhyl will play host to Sounds of the Glen Miller Era next week. Readers can recapture the sounds and memories of a bygone era as the Nick Ross Orchestra presents an unmissable evening of music and song, a selection from the repertoires of Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey and Ted Heath, who will feature throughout. And the concert would not be complete without reference to the songbooks of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, to the delight of Nick himself. "I am often asked what kindled my interest in the Big Band sound? The obvious answer would be the wonderful music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Ted Heath et al, but given that I wasn’t around in the 1940s, the first Big Band that I ever heard live was the Syd Lawrence Orchestra," says Nick. "By my early teens, I had already become a dedicated fan." Special guest vocalist for the evening will be Matthew Ford. Matthew is from the same mould as the classic singers Matt Monro, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra – he has formidable natural talent in front of a live audience. He has gained a large and loyal following throughout the UK during his many years as vocalist with the renowned Syd Lawrence Orchestra. And how’s about this for praise, from the world-famous Encore magazine: "Our rather mature audience arrived elderly and left ecstatic – really uplifted by a fabulous afternoon’s entertainment. So therapeutic are the band that they really should be available on the NHS." Sounds of the Glenn Miller Era commences at 7.30pm on February 29. Tickets are priced £14.50 (£13.50 concession) and are available from the box office on 01745 330000. | 
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