Monthly Archives: March 2023

ALL SAINTS CHURCH UPPER NORWOOD, SATURDAY 25TH FEBRUARY 2023

The Band’s first engagement of the year marked two other firsts. It was the Band’s first visit to All Saints Church on Upper Norwood’s Beulah Hill (but it has visited Upper Norwood Salvation Army several times). And it was the first time the Band’s visit was advertised in Spanish! The Reverend Father Antonio Fuerte, the church’s vicar, is from Spain and celebrates mass for Spanish speakers once a month. Posters in the church  about the evening were therefore displayed in English and Spanish.

As well as South London, members of the Band live in Kent and Sussex (and three reside in Bedfordshire, Essex and Lincolnshire!). For many, Band engagements require travelling significant distances. Refreshments on arrival are always very welcome. On entering the foyer of All Saints, Bandsmen not only experienced a warm building and welcome from the vicar and church members. Large plates of sandwiches and cakes, and cups of tea and coffee, were also displayed prominently and gratefully consumed. 

Perhaps in anticipation of the ceremony to be held at Westminster Abbey on 6th May, the Band commenced its programme with the majestic “Coronation March”, arranged by Albert Jakeway from Meyerbeer’s opera, “The Prophet”. This was immediately followed by Bob Chilcott’s “Irish Blessings”, arranged by Derick Kane, moving music of great simplicity and beauty. John Moye then prayed that God’s blessing would be with all present and everything that took place during the evening. 

Principal Cornet Andy Precious was the first of the Band’s four soloists, giving a fine performance of Mozart’s “Alleluja”, the third movement from his motet “Exultate, Jubilate” arranged by George Marshall.  Rugby Union’s Six Nations 2023 matches were being played that day and the Band’s next items featured folk songs from four of them. Arrangements of “Early One Morning” (England) and “A Hundred Pipers” (Scotland) were taken from Norman Bearcroft’s suite “The Sound of Britain”. Ireland was represented by “Through the Fair”, a haunting melody arranged as a flugel horn solo by Chelsea Pascoe (Songster Leader of Belfast Sydenham) and played superbly by Jeremy Davis, our second soloist. This musical tour of the British Isles concluded with Gordon Langford’s rousing arrangement of “Men of Harlech” (Wales). 

The trombone solo “My Story and Song” is an arrangement by Ray Steadman-Allen of Stephen Foster’s “Beautiful Dreamer”. Maurice Horwood’s sensitive presentation of this lovely melody was much appreciated, Salvationist listeners being reminded of Fanny Crosby’s words “Praising my Saviour all the day long”. Roger Gadsden then shared verses and thoughts from Psalm 8, reminding us “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”. Under the leadership of Adrian Horwood, the Band then sang “What a Wonderful World”, accompanied by a brass ensemble. The song’s timeless message of love, peace and harmony was made famous by Louis Armstrong. Vice-Admiral Robert Fitzroy, a distinguished nineteenth century naval officer and scientist buried in the church’s cemetery, would have endorsed its message. He commanded HMS Beagle during the five-year expeditionary voyage of Charles Darwin.

The Band concluded the first half with “Durham Snapshots”, the major work of the evening and receiving only its second performance anywhere. Composed by Derick Kane after a visit to this historic cathedral city, the music was inspired by famous city landmarks and Durham’s association with St. Cuthbert and St. Bede the Venerable. This four-part work includes a “Hymn to the Saints” section, featuring the hymn tune “Sine Nomine” associated with the words “For all the Saints who from their labours rest”. The Band really enjoys playing this music and the church’s acoustics enhanced our performance. The audience’s prolonged applause confirmed their appreciation of this very fine composition.

An interval enabled the audience to enjoy refreshments and meet the Bandsmen. The Band then commenced the second half with “Let it Shine”, Alan Fernie’s gospel rock arrangement of “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” Accompanied by the Band, the congregation then sang the hymn “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah” to the tune of Cwm Rhondda. The Band followed this with a simple arrangement of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, one of the most famous songs ever written and turned into a huge hit by the film “Shrek”.

Many years ago, Derick Kane was a guest participant at The Salvation Army’s Star Lake Music Camp in New Jersey. Together with his fellow guest, Peter Graham, they wrote a euphonium solo for Derick to play during the week, based on the Camp song and subsequently re-arranged by Paul Sharman. Adrian Horwood – the Band’s fourth soloist – played the result – “Star Lake Variations”. This lively and joyous composition demands considerable technical skills  and musicianship, demonstrated in abundance by Adrian and very well received by the audience. So too was the next item, “Riverside”, Derick Kane’s upbeat arrangement of the Negro spiritual “Down by the Riverside”. 

The finale featured two patriotic pieces – Hubert Parry’s “Jerusalem” and Edward Elgar’s “Land of Hope and Glory” (from Pomp and Circumstance no.1), the audience joining in to sing and wave their flags. 

The two-part benediction began with the Band singing William Himes beautiful “A Choral  Benediction”, concluding
with the words “May God’s arms of comfort hold you and surround you with his peace”. Father Fuerte, after thanking the Band for a wonderful evening which helped to raise funds for the church’s building fund, gave the final blessing.

 

After the benediction, the Band played Erik Leidzen’s March “On the King’s Highway”.

 

The Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool was being played that evening, less than a mile away. Our programme finished in good time to avoid the football traffic. Spectators at that goal-less draw may have been disappointed. Not so the audience at All Saints. Although many were unfamiliar with brass bands, their generous applause at the end of the evening was clear and encouraging. Thank you, All Saints church, for inviting us.