Visit to Horsham – 3 October 2015

Saturday 3 October saw the last concert of a very busy and interesting season for SLFB with visits to Bexleyheath, West Wickham, Bromley, Croydon, Chatham, Hadleigh and finally Horsham.

The setting for the concert at Horsham was the Salvation Army Hall which although small gave ample opportunity for the Band to display its versatility and control of variation in style and substance.

These attributes were displayed to the full at the commencement of the programme by the playing of Leslie Condon’s Festival March Celebration. A scintillating start.

Keen to inject some levity into the programme, the Bandmaster, Darrell Scholes, included Fantasia for Children, an item from the pen of James Wright which brought back childhood memories enhanced by the enthusiastic offering of bells and whistles from Steve Woods the percussionist.

The evening was enhanced by the presentation of cornet, euphonium and vocal solos from Keith Hutchinson, Adrian Horwood and Leslie Swift respectively.

Keith, an outstanding soloist for many years has lost little of the melodic sound and alacrity of technique which has delighted all those who have had the pleasure of listening to him. From Stephen Bulla’s Crossroad, then the soulful rendering of Eric Leidzen’s Beautiful Christ, to the exhilarating, yes breath taking rendering of Goedicke’s Concert Etude each of these attributes were displayed.

The playing of Norman Bearcroft’s Euphonium solo The Better World by Adrian Horwood displayed similar virtues, as once again he delighted the audience in his usual energetic yet sensitive performance.

Vocal items are a regular feature of the Band’s programme and apart from the whole Band presentation of I know Thee who Thou art, Leslie Swift, piano accompaniment by Marjory Spicer, once more delighted with his sympathetic singing of You raise me up.

The highlight of the items presented by the Band was the newly introduced Music of a Legacy composed by Steven Ponsford; a composition containing many challenging passages well handled by the Band, featuring significant compositions by Salvationist musicians during the 150 years that the Salvation Army has been in existence.

All in all an enjoyable evening brought to a conclusion by the March, Light-bringer played as scintillatingly as the opening number.

So, although another year of fellowship for the Band and its supporters is brought to a fine conclusion preparation is in hand for an equally inspiring 2016, with the publication of the Band’s new CD.

Keith Thomas