On Friday, 21 March 2014, the [bclink id=”1007″ target=”_blank”] (Bandmaster John Bird) presented a charity concert at [bclink id=”1046″ target=”_blank”]. The concert, including donations received, raised £8,600 for a locally-based organization, the [bclink id=”2220″ target=”_blank”], which is at the forefront of caring for children who need special help.
The concert commenced with a march, South Coast (Martyn Thomas) and then, in contrast, Hine e Hine, a traditional New Zealand melody arrange by Peter Graham. The latter featured the band’s flügelhorn, Alex Manning.
Major Geoff Chape, Portsmouth Citadel corps officer, was the chair for the concert, which continued with Procession to Covenant (William Himes). The cornet section was featured in Double Trumpet Concerto (Antonio Vivaldi, arr. Simon Kerwin), conducted by the band’s assistant conductor, David Samuels. Principal euphonium Dan Redhead was featured in My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose (arr. Kenneth Downie).
Other items from the band included selected excerpts from Treasures from Tchaikovsky (arr. Bramwell Coles), Tritsch–Tratsch (Johann Strauss, arr. Alan Fernie) and Round-Up (Martin Cordner). The band also sang When Jesus Looked o’er Galilee (words Catherine Baird, music Ernest Fewster, arr. Leslie Condon).
Pastor Geoff Wood of Gosport [bclink id=”2221″ target=”_blank”] gave an appeal on behalf of the Second Chance Charity. The band played The Liberty Bell (John Philip Sousa) and Come, Follow the Band from the musical “Barnum” (Cy Coleman, arr. Dan Price) on either side of the interval.
A time of reflection included words of Scripture and comments by Assistant Band Sergeant Trevor Dawson before the band played Dean Goffin’s meditation, The Light of the World.
Doug Hulme, Chief Executive and Founding Director of the Second Chance Charity, offered moving words of appreciation both to the audience and to those not present who had made donations. Hulme reminded everyone that the charity would use every penny raised in continuing with its mission, “Changing the world, one child at a time”.
Following the Radetszky March (Johann Strauss, arr. Pat Ryan), the band played, as a benediction, the second section of Eric Ball’s suite The Pilgrim Way, associated with the words “God be in my head, and in my understanding”. Finally, Bandmaster Bird concluded the concert with the Finale from the “William Tell” Overture (Gioachino Rossini, arr. Dean Goffin).
Source:
Report submitted by Tony Unwin, Solent Fellowship Band press officer