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The majority of the band and their supporters descended on Birmingham airport at 9am Saturday morning ready for an 11 o’clock flight. Others had travelled to Manchester and Liverpool for flights and had left home even earlier. The van with uniforms and most instruments (we won’t mention the one that got left behind!) had left the previous day. All of us were headed for the Isle of Man and we met together at the Citadel in Douglas in time for lunch.
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Saturday afternoon saw us being bussed to Castletown where we conducted an open-air meeting in the centre of the square. Many people stopped to listen and we later learned that at least two people attended the evening concert as a result of the open-air.
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Following tea back at the hall we were taken by minibus and cars to All Saints Church where the evening concert was to take place. This lovely church was packed for the occasion.
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The evening was a great success with a one particular highlight being the playing of the march Clevedon 100 conducted by the composer Les Hartill. Les is an ex-salvationist who is now the resident organist at All Saints Church. He was delighted to be introduced as “still one of us”.
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Other items which delighted the audience included Robert Hayward’s xylophone solo Gypsy Virtuoso, a cornet solo Songs in the Heart by Martin Hughes, Paul Sharman’s arrangement of Londonderry Air played by his brother Mark, and the euphonium solo Wondrous Love played by Keith Watts. This was a tribute to Keith's father who, at the age of 16, played this solo at the Queen's Hall London accompanied by SP&S Band conducted by Eric Ball.
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We enjoyed Emma and Edwina playing their timbrels to Star Lake, and Neil Blessett and Daniel Robson who treated us to some Irish dancing during the band's rendition of Gaelforce.
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I think the younger members of the band gained some extra muscles that night when they had to rearrange the pews – some about 10ft long.
Words: Carole Richardson
Pictures: Gordon McKee
