Birmingham Citadel Band visited Leicester South Corps for the very first time on Saturday, 11 November 2006. Connections between Birmingham Citadel and Leicester Castle had been ongoing for many years, but Leicester Castle became Leicester South in 2005 when the corps relocated outside the jurisdiction of the City of Leicester. So we were delighted to welcome the band to Leicestershire as we had looked forward to their visit for some time.
The audience was not disappointed, because under the very able leadership of Deputy Bandmaster Graham Lamplough, the band presented an excellent programme, varied to suit all tastes, and played to a very high standard that one expects from this band. A special feature that the writer enjoyed was the multimedia graphics. They enhanced the programme with images that helped the listener to focus on the music presented. Words and images can bring understanding to band pieces and one appreciates the thinking of the composer when it was in the creative stages.
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Soloists Martin Hughes (cornet) and Mark Sharman (trombone) played their respective solos Songs in the Heart and Eternal Quest with great expertise and were much appreciated by the audience. We were much taken with Karen Farmer’s ability on the flugel horn when she played Christ is All during the opening prayer period. The band song Redeemed and the item by the timbrels to the march Mighty to Save, went down very well and offered a good contrast on the programme. The timbrels are always a popular item and it was good to see the girls smiling as they played. It’s not always the case with some groups!
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Music from the classics included Treasures from Tchiaksovsky (Coles) and Toccata in D Minor (JS Bach) arranged by Ray Farr. Both are lively, fast moving pieces that keep you on the edge of your seat because they are so uplifting and on this evening, well played. The main work of the evening was Leslie Condon’s The Present Age. This was a piece where the graphics were very helpful as the composer portrays all the full range of emotions that the soul experiences, from turmoil and confusion to surrender. “It is well with my soul ... ” - great music and very well played.
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The benediction, An Irish Blessing, was a fitting way to conclude the evening. “May the God that loves us all, hold you in the palm of his hand.” Words that make one think and appreciate what a great God we have. What talents we appreciated tonight: composer and musician. It was music that touched the heart and brought us closer to God.
Words: Nigel Denton, Corps Press Officer, Leicester South
Photos: Gordon McKee
