A Prelude to Christmas 2024

A Prelude to Christmas 

Saturday 23 November, 2024

Maidstone Citadel Corps

 Lieutenants Bethany and David Perkins

Featuring 

The South London Fellowship Band – Conductor Derick Kane

&

Maidstone Citadel Songsters – Songster Leader Victoria Cole.

The congregation gathered at Maidstone Citadel Corps for the eagerly anticipated programme, ‘Prelude to Christmas’, which was a partnership festival with the Songster Brigade under the leadership of Songster Leader Victoria Cole and The South London Fellowship Band under their conductor Derick Kane. 

The band opened proceedings with the scintillating ‘Fanfare Jubiloso’, composed in 1997 by James Curnow.  The joyous energy of this piece heralds ‘Joy to the World the Lord is come, let earth receive her King’.

Words of welcome preceded Kenneth Cook’s ever popular March ‘The Spirit of Christmas’ with is medley of carols, reminding us finally that ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem’.

Songster Rachel Walters read the prophecy from Micah 5: 2-5 which foretold the coming of Christ. 

The Songsters under the leadership of Victoria Cole brought to us the beautiful piece entitled ‘Christ has come’, written by the gifted wordsmith and composer Yvonne Field which was followed by a Joel Ramey number ‘Christmas is Coming’.

The Christmas carol suite, ‘The Festive Season’ by Morley Calvert, a Canadian composer,  featuring the carols ‘Christ was born on Christmas Day’ along with ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ and Good King Wenceslas’ was sensitively  played by the band. This work of contrasting moods was as enjoyable to listen to as it is to play.

The songsters then took us to the West Indies with a traditional carol, ‘The Virgin Mary had a baby boy’ said to have been written in the late 16th century and arranged by Leonard Ballantine.  In total contrast to this piece, the songsters then introduced us to a further Yvonne Field number, ‘Majesty Resides’, which beautifully captures both the humble and the majestic as it conveys the amazing story of God coming in the form of a child.

The South London Fellowship Band is blessed with a number of soloists and Adrian Horwood, our euphonium soloist, introduced us to some really lively music in the form of ‘A Christmas Dance’ which was written and arranged by Derick Kane and featured at its heart a Celtic dance. The final melody of this uplifting music is associated with the words, ‘On Christmas night all Christians sing to hear the news the angels bring’.

The second Bible reading, taken from Isaiah 9:2-7 was read by Songster Janette Atkinson and proceeded the major work of the evening from the band, entitled ‘Christ is Born’ composed by Robert Redhead. The music takes its inspiration from the book of Isaiah 9 verse 6 ‘Unto us a Boy is Born’ and takes a medieval carol of the same name speaking of the birth of Christ and his mission on earth. The final bars of this music bring to a glorious climax the final words of the carol ‘lead us all with hearts aflame unto the joys above us’.

The songsters further introduced a song written by Chris Baker, ‘The Earth was bathed in Love’.  This energetic song depicts the life and ministry of Jesus and explains how history changed forever when he came to earth.  The final stanza says it all, ‘Gift of grace from God above and lives are filled with light for the earth was bathed in love’.

Lieutenant Bethany Perkins, newly appointed to the Maidstone Citadel corps this year, brought our thoughts together in Prayers for Christmas. The large and attentive congregation then stood to sing the carol ‘Angels from the realms of glory’.

Without announcement Maurice Horwood, the bands trombone soloist, quietly began to play the opening bars of ‘Silent Night’ and the band sensitively joined him in this delightful carol arranged by Barrie Gott. There followed an intriguing composition  ‘Do you hear what I hear?’ arranged by William Himes. This melody moves gradually from a quiet place to a final statement mirroring the final words of the Carol, ‘Listen to what I say, the child sleeping in the night, He will bring us goodness and light.’

The third reading of the evening, brought to us by Songster Hazel Ball, made reference to and reflected on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Poem ‘Christmas Bells’ which was written on Christmas Day in 1863 and contrasts  the merry pealing of church bells on Christmas Day alongside the news that his son had been severely wounded in battle.  The songsters seamlessly moved into the carol ‘I heard the Bells on Christmas Day’, based upon Longfellow’s poem which leads us from despair to hope, ‘peace on earth, goodwill to men’.

The Salvation Army has a rich heritage of poets, including Miriam Richards who penned ‘O Heaven-sent King, our homage we bring’ the words of which have been linked to a 17th-century German Melody and are the inspiration behind Derick Kane’s brass arrangement of the same name which was thoughtfully played by the band.

Our ‘Prelude to Christmas’ was further enhanced as the Maidstone Songsters brought their final contribution to the evening ‘Joy to the World’. 

The South London Fellowship Band band concluded this fine programme with the classic piece  ‘Farandole’ by Bizet arranged by Richard Philips.  The inspiration for this music is taken from a popular French christmas carol of the 13th Century and depicts the ‘March of the three Kings’.  Words from the carol include ‘Three Kings I met on early morn, were on their way to meet the newly born’.

The congregation enjoyed a final carol, ‘The First Nowell’.  And as the evening came to an end    Lieutenant David Perkins shared thanks and then gave a final Benediction.

As the congregation moved out of the hall the band sent them on their way with a foot tapping rendition of ‘Christmas Joy’ by Eric Leidzen.

What a pleasure it was to have shared this evening with the Maidstone songsters.  Thank you Victoria, so ably assisted by Bandmaster Stuart Atkinson at the piano.

The minor miracle was how the band ever managed to complete the evening, having had a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings earlier in the day, in the company of wives and partners,  just a couple of hours earlier.   A fitting celebration for a great year of music making.  Thanks to all who made this evening possible.  God bless you.