We’ll keep a welcome……
And they did! Chatham Band, returning the visit made by Cardiff Canton Band last year, found exactly that when visiting the principality last weekend.
In concert
The visit began, as all visits should, with prayerful preparation around the theme of ‘Coming Home’ which had been set for the weekend. Adrian Horwood is seen leading the band in prayertime before the Saturday evening festival, a time when individual members contributed through singing, playing and prayer to the overall desire of the band that people might be moved to return to God, to ‘come home’.
Praying for souls to return ‘home’
Bandmaster Carl Woodman
In the main festival, given on Saturday evening and introduced by Bandmaster Carl Woodman, the band featured ‘Praise Him’ (Stephen Bulla), ‘Such Love’ (Paul Drury) and ‘The King’s Minstrel’ (Ray Steadman-Allen) before listenening to a delightful rendering of ‘Know my Heart’ by Cardiff Canton Songsters led by Songster Leader Christine Saunders.
Know my Heart
‘Home on the Range’ (Erik Leidzen) was the euphonium solo presented by Songster Leader Adrian Horwood before Ruth Hardy presented the theme of the weekend with scripture and a thought. The first half of the programme concluded with ‘To know Thee’ (William Himes) and the march ‘Praise’s Power’ (David Ayma).
Home on the Range
An interval of ten minutes allowed the stage to be reset for the band to provide half an our of ‘swing’ music in a ‘big band’ style. Numbers featured were ‘Swingtime Religion’ (Barrie Gott), ‘Deep River’ (William Broughton), ‘Tomado de la mano’ (Erik Silfverberg), ‘All to Jesus’ (Eiliv Herikstad) and ‘Greater Things’ (Olaf Ritman). Canton Songsters included ‘Under His Wings’ in this part of the meeting. This delightfully different format sent people home with feet tapping and a sense of excitement in preparation for the further activities of the weekend
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‘Dizzie’ Steve Lenton who provided the jazz trumpet breaks
Rosemary Steadman-Allen led the Sunday morning worship which included ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ (Ray-Steadman-Allen) and ‘The Call’ (Erik Leidzen) from the Band. Canton Singing Company also brought a musical ministry which was much appreciated. Just three songs, all from the Salvation Army Song Book (283, 47 and 438) were used and Greg Davis testified. Richard Craik spoke from the Word in a meeting which further emphasised the need for a return to the spiritual home.
L to R: Rosemary, Greg & Richard
The final meeting of the weekend included ‘Silver Star’ (Ray Steadman-Allen), ‘Love so Amazing’ (Noel Brooks) and ‘Songs of Victory’ (Richard Phillips) before a contribution from Canton Songsters. The final part of the meeting confirmed the joy of the homecoming with ‘The Suppliant Heart’ (Brian Bowen) followed by a song for all to enjoy, stating the assurance of abiding in God’s love (Salvation Army Song Book 736), the commitment ‘My All is on the Altar’ (Morley Calvert), a short message from Tim Scott and the final determined statement of the Christian ‘I’ll Walk with God’ (Nicholas Brodszky, arr. Christian Jenkins) from euphonium soloist Adrain Horwood.
Tim & Adrian
We conclude this report with some of the lyrics from the song which gave us our title.
Far away a voice is calling
Bells of memory chime
Come home again, come home again
They call through the oceans of time
We’ll keep a welcome…….
We’ll keep a welcome…….
This land you knew will still be singing
When you come home again…….
The message brought by the band to Cardiff embodied the call to ‘come home’ to Christ. What about you? You will be truly welcomed!