Monthly Archives: October 2016
George Whittingham 91st birthday
George Whittingham – birthday programme
A number of SLFB members were privileged to be asked by the band’s founder, Major George Whittingham, to be part of a band put together to celebrate his birthday. A similar event occurred last year on the occasion of his 90th birthday and the success of that event led to a repeat for his 91st.
George conducted the band through virtually all items during the evening, held at Bromley Salvation Army hall, as well as compering the evening which lasted for just over 2 hours – quite an achievement of stamina as well as memory as many items were conducted without a score.
There were many well known faces from the Salvation Army brass band world (see photograph below) as well as some from non-SA bands and professional musicians.
The programme commenced with the hymn tune ‘Pilgrims’ which the congregation then joined in, followed by the march ‘The Canadian’ and included many SA classics such as ‘Army of the brave’ & ‘Just as I am’. Guest soloist Tom Neilson played the cornet solo ‘Glory to his name’ and items from the orchestral classical repertoire were the the flugelhorn horn solo ‘Solveig’s Song’ played by George’s great-nephew, Kevin Whittingham and the tenor trombones combining in ‘The Swan’. The cornet section played ‘Bugler’s holiday’ and joined with the trombone section in ‘Never give up’. The euphonium section was featured in a duet written by Derick Kane which he played with Adrian Horwood – ‘That’s the spirit’. Ben Dixon was featured as E flat tuba soloist in ‘Celestial Morn’ conducted by Darrell Scholes. The grand finale to the programme was a favourite of many – ‘The Kingdom Triumphant’ which left the band breathless after it’s long, slow phrases and left the audience, if not breathless, enthralled by the sounds and variety of music heard during the evening.
We wish George well for his 92nd year and look forward to his birthday bash again next year
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