 |
 |
The magnificent Symphony Hall as the setting, talented invited guests, a blend of traditional carols, music and drama: these were just some of the ingredients in place for successfully presenting the Christmas message.
Rejoice, a Christmas Celebration 2006, burst into life with Norman Bearcroft’s Merry Christmas, presented by the massed sections of the Birmingham Citadel Corps, featuring the young and not so young! This prompted a very enthusiastic response from both afternoon and evening audiences (a cumulative audience of over 2,500) and undoubtedly inspired the subsequent hearty audience singing.
|
|
|
The timbrel is of course synonymous with The Salvation Army and is always a well anticipated ingredient of this annual carol concert. And the many enthusiasts were not to be disappointed. Introduced as a ‘scintillating display’, with illuminated tambourines and to Prokofiev’s Troika, it most certainly sparkled.
 |
|
The first of our guests was the well known author Gervase Phinn. He has published four volumes of autobiography with highlights from his career in education, firstly as a teacher and then as a schools’ inspector in the Yorkshire Dales - tales of the unexpected relating to pupils that he met on his travels. His warmth, his amusing anecdotes, his facial expressions (caught so well on the multimedia screen!) caused some hearty audience chuckling and left them in no doubt that the annual children’s Nativity would never be the same again.
As the primary (the 2 to 6 year olds) took to the stage, it happened again!! Who was to have guessed that one exuberant shepherd was about to beat the baby Jesus with his crook? Once again the stars of the show!
 |
 |
 |
 |
The young people’s sections also shone, the singing company featuring music from The Muppets Christmas Carol and the young people’s band premiering the King of Joy which was especially written for the occasion by Band Leader Mark Sharman.
 |
 |
Our guest vocal soloist was Staff Songster Mark Norwood from Bromley Corps. His rich baritone voice filled the Symphony Hall as he presented his contrasting selection of songs which included the evergreen O Holy Night (Adolph Adam), and the old chestnut itself, Mel Torme’s Christmas Song.
 |
 |
The songster brigade presented Great is Our Joy from David Clydesdale’s Christmas musical The Song of Christmas, together with Unto Us is Born (Cindy Berry); two songs which so effectively reinforced the good news of Jesus’ birth.
|
|
|
 |
 |
The senior band with Kenneth Downie’s pot-pourri of carols A Great and Mighty Wonder brought Rejoice 2006 to an exciting conclusion.
 |
 |
We sincerely thank the organisers and their team of supporters for their considerable hard work in bringing together and presenting such an effective celebration of Christmas. Judging from the audience enthusiasm and response as they left the Symphony Hall, a little more of the same ingredients next year please!
We also thank our audience for their continued support of the work of The Salvation Army. Through this year’s appeal which raised over £4,500, Birmingham Citadel Corps will be able to even more effectively support many needy folk week by week.
Words: Keith and Glenis Watts
Photos: Gordon McKee
