CD Cover | Major Len Ballantine Review| Songster Leader Derek Ward Review
There is something very special about being invited to provide a review of this great compilation for you. As a young songster leader in my mid-twenties, steeped in Army music and predominantly a vocalist- I knew what I liked! There were in those days many fine songster groups, but only one Birmingham Citadel. Their recordings demonstrated superbly just what could be achieved with dedicated Army “amateur” vocalists. More importantly, they gave incredible insight into how powerfully God’s Spirit can speak through musicians that unashamedly worked for excellence. In listening to Golden Years, time and time again I recalled how this group, under the unique Fred Crowhurst, has inspired me more than any, in my own vocation as a songster leader. Thank you!
Fred’s very own 'Companion to Golden Years' gives a very detailed and interesting view on the songs featured, and the background to each recording too. I read it with real interest and recommend you get your own copy.
In all, the 25 tracks featured cover just about every style of vocal writing available in the Army at that time. A very wide range of degree of difficulty is there too. There are many 'constants' evident throughout the repertoire - accuracy, balance, mastery of line and phrase, superb accompaniments, dynamic control and more.
For me though, the key element centres upon the group’s ability with words. Sounds a bit elementary and obvious. However, in my opinion, most singing groups do not use words well. With BCS, their use of words rises well above simply diction (a challenge in itself) to a point where, for me, they 'sing as you would speak' to someone. Rarely do they allow the technical challenges of the music to override the prime necessity of communicating the sense of the words. This is a rare quality in vocal soloists and groups, and one of the secrets behind Fred’s inimitable results, in my humble view.
I recall thinking, all those years ago, that no song seemed beyond the capabilities of BCS and indeed, throughout 'Golden Years' I noted again that almost everything seems right, with no hint of the brigade being overstretched. On a related point, the end result is generally always in line with the demands of the score. Fred’s interpretation never seems to degenerate into 'alteration' and as a consequence, authenticity is the winner.
The first four tracks are excerpts from the Canadian Tour recording, and were 'live' from the Roy Thompson Hall, in Toronto. First Jesus Christ is Risen Today – a quality Len Ballantine setting, where the brigade, congregation of 2,000 and the Canadian Staff Band combine. One can sense from the recording that this was a very special moment for all participants. Two unaccompanied numbers follow. They contrast widely. The deceptively difficult All Things are Possible precedes the ever popular Praise Ye the Lord, the latter sung with brilliant pace, joy and real choral integrity.
Of Truths Secure from, at the time, a young Stephen Bulla, is something right out of the ordinary. I confess to never having heard any other group sing this – and listening to it you will probably realise why! This contains some ingenious writing, with music married beautifully to words. In what is almost a duet for voices and piano at times, Tricia Owen is outstanding at the keyboard. In three sections the writer makes extreme demands on everyone, not least the conductor. A magnificent song, sung with passion and always in control.
From Sing to God (recorded in 1974 for the Holland Tour) there are nine tracks featured. Four of them, numbers 6,7,8 and 13, topped the Army’s 'charts' for quite some time. Here they are given the BCS treatment. Original words and music feature in The Wonder of His Grace and I am The Resurrection and both are communicated with real sensitivity, the latter with female voices only. Old words are given new settings (well they were then) in testimony songs Count Your Blessings and Where I Love to Be.
Tom Rive’s classic setting of Look Ye Saints (5) is one of many highlights for me. A strong unpredictable melody line with real harmonic interest, of course wonderful words and finely accompanied. Beautifully written music, performed with great integrity and a genuine sense of celebration.
Another New Zealander, Ron Tremain, provides Praise (10) and How Sweet the Name (14). The latter is also scored for band, and in that form I believe it works generally better. However this takes nothing away from a really fine vocal rendition and majestic climax. I always regretted that we saw very little of Ron Tremain’s vocal writings. In Praise we hear perhaps his best-known work. This is a composition of real quality that makes fairly big demands on any group who perform it. Singers are taken 'out of the box' in melodic and harmonic terms. Sung well, it is inspirational. Sung less than well, leave it alone. With BCS it is inspirational. Love this one!
Wesley Kendrick’s arrangement of The Wounds of Christ (9) stands apart from the conventional songster style of the day. This old and much loved song from Evangeline Booth is given a contemporary setting and is performed with sensitivity and skill.
John Chaloner conducts Leslie Condon’s The Love of My Lord (as well as Track 13). I remember John with great fondness and admiration from my teenage years at the National School of Music for boys. His early passing affected many of his 'Tylney' friends – and so it is great to have his distinctiveness represented here. The ladies group provide us with a moving version of what is an appealing and challenging song.
From Under Two Flags we hear two songs. Most groups would struggle to sing The Good Old Way (20) effectively. In truth, not many have tried. BCS give it their best and the result is as about as good as you will hear. I can’t help wondering if it’s one of those songs that are good to sing but not quite the same for the listener. It’s a great old Manx hymn, with a good melody. The brigade gives it a really joyful feel and the ending is exciting.
Christ’s Part (21). If I were to choose one track from BCS over the years then this would be in my 'desert island disc' collection. Recorded by others, sung by many, but for me, this is the authentic version. As James Curnow’s first vocal contribution to the Army’s repertoire, I remember it appearing in the Musical Salvationist 1974. For me, it stood alone for some years, in a class of it’s own. Robert Herrick’s brief verses waste no words, and yet capture a deeply moving spirit of contemplation and devotion. Curnow’s music somehow (hundreds of years later) breathes the Spirit of God into the words – and the songsters; well they were trained for moments like this. Exquisite.
Virtually all of the remaining tracks come from the Abbey Road recording, 'Songs in Chorus'.
Before the Cross (11) stands the test of time. Peter Cooke’s distinctive words married to Edward Gregson’s lovely composition. Set in a perfect vocal key, and requiring phrasing control beyond the norm, this is for me a classic among our Easter repertoire.
Christ the Lord is Risen” (15) features words and melody from centuries ago. RSA’s arrangement is, as ever, tasteful, stylistically in keeping with the mood of the song and the songsters’ strong choral instincts are very obvious. Great rhythm, in what is a demanding unaccompanied number.
I agree with Fred in his views regarding the utter quality of Tom Rive’s work and it is no more apparent than in the truly lovely Show Me Thy Face (16). These wonderful words are set so well that one would imagine that there was no other music written for them! Tucked away in a 60’s Musical Salvationist, few groups have sung it, I think. Here it is delivered with beautiful line, phrase and balance, and as always made to sound very easy. Be in Time (24) another work from the same writer, and sung unaccompanied, is full of the same hallmarks. A strongly evangelical theme, the words written many years ago reach out in a strong appeal to the listener.
Much of the repertoire chosen is sung without accompaniment and BCS excel in that vein. The Little King Jesus (17) is fantastic, with a chorus full of dynamic singing and brilliant vocal effect. I’m not sure if another recording exists, but this one is 'state of the art' in my book. Little David (19) an unpublished number from John Chaloner is another gem. I remember John trying this out on a group of aspiring boys (including self) at Tylney Hall … it didn’t sound anything like this. Delightful, whimsical singing is how I would describe The Crimson Stream. The words are from James Vint, and allied to a delightful Danish melody.
A Royal Albert Hall type setting of The Christian Mission (23) is loads of fun, but equally provides a real glimpse of the early day Salvation Army. Opening spoken extracts from the Christian Mission magazine set the scene for a rollicking and widely varied presentation.
Ivor Bosanko’s extremely popular I Bring Them to Jesus (18) is included. Here, the music is unaffected by sentiment, nothing is needed other than for the music and words to work in the way intended. Words, as always, are full of tasteful inflection. Nothing is overdone, and the message of the song is the more powerful because of that.
Finally, Norman Bearcroft’s lovely setting of I Know a Fount is placed where it was always placed by Fred ... at the end. I read Fred’s comments on this song and related strongly to the timeless associations that certain songs bring. This is clearly a very precious set of words and music, and one which aptly brings this compilation to a close.
I commend this CD to you. It is definitely a collector’s piece and brings together some truly great performances from a songster brigade which in my view ranks among the finest in the world, and I include in that the various Staff Songster groups.
Songster Leader Derek Ward
Castleford Citadel
CD Cover | Major Len Ballantine Review| Songster Leader Derek Ward Review