The Band at West Wickham United Reform Church 13th March 2009
Guest Conductor and compere Dr Stephen Cobb
Cornet Soloist Carl Nielsen
Vocalist Anthony Harris
FIFTEENTH ANNUAL VISIT TO EMMANUEL UNITED
A
concert of classical favourites, with Guest Conductor Dr Stephen Cobb
and Guest Soloists Anthony Harris (vocal) and Carl Nielsen (cornet)
It was a great experience to see this wonderful church absolutely full (the rear congregational extension, too), with the band yet again enjoying the buildingÂ’s remarkable acoustics,
afforded by its fine timbered roof.
Friday 13th was Comic
Relief night on the BBC, and Major George Whittingham brought
introductory humour to the fore by comparing himself to a football
manager who’d “got the chop” for a new manager from the very top
of the Premier League of banding –Dr Stephen Cobb, Musical Director
of the International Staff Band. Dr. Cobb immediately accepted this
“transfer of the crown”, by commandingly bringing the baton down
on MeyerbeerÂ’s Coronation March. The band
responded with confidence, and continued to relish being kept on its
toes, as it responded to Stephen CobbÂ’s sensitive steerage through
“Army” arrangements from the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn,
Wagner, Schubert, Grieg and Mascagni.
Dr Cobb shared insights on the challenge for brass bands of playing music
written for the wider range of instruments in orchestras, endorsed the
importance of brass banding in the Salvation ArmyÂ’s mission,
and described encouraging developments in the ArmyÂ’s music
ministry with youth. He spoke too of how he had been captivated at the
age of 10, by hearing the record of the Staff Band playing GriegÂ’s
“Last Spring”, and how it was the springboard for his commitment
to Salvation Army banding and to the Salvation Army itself.
We were favoured yet again by brilliant guest soloists. Anthony Harris,
tenor, joined us for the third year running, delighting us with three
German lieder in the first half of the programme, and later singing
three popular songs including “If I loved you” from Carousel and
“Kashmari Song”.
Dr Cobb told us that Anthony was the first male treble singer in the
ArmyÂ’s Territorial Youth Choir, and is now well into his Bachelor of
Music studies at the Guildhall.
Staff
Bandsman Carl Nielsen skilfully played the 2nd and 3rd movements from HaydnÂ’s Trumpet
Concerto, originally written in 1796 for the trumpet specialist who
first developed the valved trumpet, and we certainly enjoy a
trumpet/cornet specialist this evening!
The eveningÂ’s financial appeal which raised
ÂŁ550.00 was donated to Nash College, in nearby Hayes, a further
education college for around 60 young people with severe, profound and
multiple learning difficulties. Brenda, a governor from
The Minister, Revd. Bill Bowman, told us we
were playing better than ever, and extended an invitation to pay our
16th visit next year. What a splendid link of fellowship
with Emmanuel Church has been forged over the years.
Phil
Edwards
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Engagements have been carried out at the following venues over the years and we are continuing with these on a regular basis:-
Upper Norwood | |
The United Reformed Church West Wickham | |
Sutton with guest soloist Maisie Wiggins - trombone | |
Northampton Central | |
Eastbourne Citadel | |
Hadleigh Temple | |
Royal Tunbridge Wells with guest soloist Nick Hudson - trombone | |
Gravesend St George's Church | |
Penge Salvation Army - Divisional meeting "Come and Celebrate" | |
The United Reformed Church Herne Hill | |
Shaw Salvation Army, Lancashire | |
Redhill Salvation Army | |
Margate Citadel, Salvation Army | |
Rochester Prison for a Carol Service | |
Denmark Place Baptist Church (In aid of the Parkinson's Disease Society) | |
Ipswich and Felixstowe | |
Blackpool Citadel | |
Thornton Heath | |
Croydon Citadel with the South London Youth Band (Leader Paul Graham) | |
Tour of Scotland and Northern England | |
Plymouth Exeter Hall, Whitleigh | |
Bromley "Open Rehearsal" | |
Brighton Congress Hall | |
St George's Church Beckenham (10th Anniversary) | |
St Laurence Church Catford | |
Wellingborough | |
Boscombe | |
Chatham | |
Southend Citadel | |
Doncaster | |
Canterbury |