Visits to Heathrow August 2012 and Bexleyheath 15th September 2012

Heathrow

‘Although the band had no ‘formal’ engagements during August we were once again invited to provide music at Heathrow Airport on 14th and 28th August to coincide with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Two groups from the band therefore provided a variety of music ranging from traditional ‘Army’ Marches and Hymn-tune Arrangements to music from the ‘shows’. Items included ‘As the Deer’, ‘Bandology’, ‘Brooklyn Citadel’, ‘Climb Every Mountain’, ‘Happiness and Harmony’, ‘Memory (from “Cats”)’, ‘Oliver’, ‘Semper Fidelis’, ‘Seventy-six Trombones’, ‘Testimony of Praise’, ‘The Floral Dance’ and ‘The Glenn Miller Collection’

Numerous passengers and many airport staff stopped to listen and many took photos of the band. During the visit on the 28th to Terminal 5 two members of the airport staff, who were acting as ‘entertainment officers’, additionally entertained the passengers by conducting the band. On this occasion the band played in the ‘Arrivals’ on the ground floor but passengers arriving in the ‘Departures’ on the fourth floor wondered where the music was coming from and looked down from above to see the band.

These visits were organised by Major Melvyn Ackroyd (Airport Chaplain) prior to his retirement in September.’

Bexleyheath

The South London Fellowship Band gave a concert at Bexleyheath Methodist Church in aid of Bexleyheath Corps Building Fund. This was a great evening of music and ministry by the Band under the leadership of Major George Whittingham. The band delighted the audience with a variety of pieces which commenced with the Cornet & Trombone Feature ‘Gone my Care’ (Lt-Col Ray Steadman-Allen). Other items included the Marches ‘Keep Singing’ (P.C. Rivers) and ‘Jubilee’ (Paul Drury), the Selection ‘Deep Passage’ (Emil Soderstrom) and ‘A London Celebration’ (Peter Graham).

Solo items were provided by Darrell Scholes (Cornet) with the Caprice ‘Zelda’ (Percy Code), Adrian Horwood (Euphonium) – ‘Travelling Along’ (Chris Mallett) and Leslie Swift sang a vocal solo ‘Before the throne’. Bandsman Phil Edwards provided a moving pause for thought.

Throughout the concert the Band was supported by Bexleyheath Singing Company, under the leadership of Rachel Gash, who also delighted the audience with their music. Their items included ‘Do Lord’, ‘Your grace still amazes me’, ‘My God and my best friend’, ‘Father Creator’, ‘Love the Lord your God’ and ‘Walk tall, stand firm, be strong’.

The Band concluded a wonderful evening with Eric Ball’s Tone Poem ‘The Triumph of Peace’.

The concert was the idea of Ladies Time Out, Leader Avril Edgar, as a fundraising effort for the corps building project and so it was a great to see £405 raised from the evening with further donations still being received.

Captain Paul Wood

Corps Officer – Bexleyheath

Monthly Archives: September 2012

Visits to Heathrow August 2012 and Bexleyheath 15th September 2012

Heathrow

Bexleyheath