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The following letter has been received from Helen Gallagher, co-ordinator of the new Medway Foodbank regarding our Christmas Carol Concerts.

Helen

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We invite all who can to join us on 4 February at 7pm for a concert given by the Regent Hall Band of The Salvation Army in aid of our Building Refurbishment Scheme.

On Regent Street, London

The Band will be joined in the concert by our own Songsters so the evening will contain much variety for the enjoyment of all listeners.

The Salvation Army at Regent Hall is the only church on London’s famous Oxford Street. Click here to read about the history of this historic corps.

The concert will be held in our Church Street hall. Check the maps below for our location.

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Last Saturday the Band joined the Rainham Ladies Choir to give the annual Christmas concert in the beautiful Dockyard Church.

Though the audience was a little disappointing in numbers the evening was well presented by both groups. The Band  featured ‘Angel Trumpets’, ‘Sweet Chiming Christmas Bells’ (Euphonium Solo – Adrian Horwood), ‘Rise up, Shepherd’ and ‘Glad Tidings’ in a first half which included ‘Ding Dong’, ‘The Saviour’s Day’, ‘Away in a Manger’, ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ and ‘Jingle Bells’ from the choir.

The choir added ‘A Winter’s Tale’, ‘Silent Night’, ‘Have yourself a merry little Christmas’, ‘Angels watching over me’, ‘In Dulce Jubilo’ and Closing Prayer’ in a second half in which the band brought ‘Nativity Swing’, ‘Nowell’ and ‘Carol of the Bells’.

A  number of traditional carols were used for audience participation. Major Andrea Still brought a short Christmas message which helped to engage with the true meaning of Christmas.

Major Andrea Still

Proceeds from the evening were donated to MacMillan Cancer Support.

The lovely church situated in Chatham’s Historic Dockyard is once again the venue for the annual Christmas concert given by the Band and the Rainham Ladies Choir.

The Dockyard Church

In 2010 the concert was cancelled because of the very inclement snowy weather but this year there seems to be no possibility of that happening. The concert takes place tomorrow (17th) at 7.30pm and will again be a charity event. This is a partnership which has become very popular in recent years and will no doubt again be a very enjoyable evening. It’s well worth missing the final of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing for (or at least record that programme so that you don’t miss out on some superlative Christmas entertainment).

Designed by Edward Holl the church was built in 1806 and was last used for worship in 1981. It has been used by Chatham’s Salvation Army Band, Songsters and Youth Chorus for the recording of CDs

Major Alec Still was indeed angelic in his role as Able, the student angel, in our Carol Concerts which took place over the past weekend.

under instruction form Gabriel

The theme of  ‘Angels’ featured Nigel Day in the ‘senior’ role (Gabriel) as he attempted to train his young and inexperienced fledgling in the art of being a reliable assistant. We’re not sure whether he succeeded!

The four main music sections each provided a spot and all performed to their usual high standards. First on stage was the Singing Company with ‘Wake Up’, ‘Away in a Manger’ and ‘Midnight’.

Midnight

Up next were the Band with ‘Sweet Chiming Christmas Bells’ (Euphonium Solo by Adrian Horwood) and ‘Carol of the Bells’.

Santa made his usual call urging people to contribute gifts for disadvantaged children and enlisting the support of all the children in the audience to help with the singing of ‘Away in  Manger‘.

Lt. Col. Ray Steadman-Allen demonstrated his skill in a Christmas Medley on the piano which brought cheers from both Saturday and Sunday audiences. It’s hard to imagine, from his dexterity on the instrument, that next year he will reach 90 years of age.

a musical wizard

Other Carols included in the first half were ‘O come, all ye faithful‘, ‘The first Nowell‘ and ‘Ding Dong! merrily on high‘. The angels appeared from time to time to plan their Christmas schedule and provided much amusement for the audience.

Can I? Can I? Please, sir?

Angel trumpet?

The Junior Band featured early in the second half by accompanying the carol ‘O little town of Bethlehem‘ and following with ‘Three Kings Rock’. Five learners then joined the band for an important part in ‘Jingle Bell Jive’. Leader David Lockwood has engaged professional help in teaching these young people and there is much evidence of success. The children did really well and were greeted with cheers on conclusion of their item.

a ‘rock’ solid performance

My! That’s a long slide!

More from the angles and then the Songsters (‘Angel’s Carol’ and ‘Running with the Shepherds’) as we approached the climax of the concert.

‘A starry night‘ led us into a time of reflection as the Songsters sung ‘Joy to the World and the final tableaux developed. The baby Jesus was brought to the stage by Mary and Joseph. This year a real live baby just four weeks old added a beautiful touch. The Shepherds and the Wise Men gathered around as Major Alec brought his Christmas message asking us all to identify our role in the picture before us. During the final carol, ‘Hark! the herald angels sing‘, a group of bandsmen, dressed for outdoor Christmas witness, joined the group to bring it into the present day scene. The Mayor of Medway, Councillor Ted Baker, and Helen Gallagher, coordinator of the newly formed Medway Foodbank, also joined the tableaux to emphasise the need for the Christmas message right here in the Medway Towns

Medway Foodbank was the charity chosen to share the proceeds of the collection and Helen was presented with a cheque for £450 which will go towards the costs of setting up this much needed service to Medway people in crisis. Chatham Salvation Army will be opening one of the ‘drop-in’ centres, operating in our ‘Hub’ coffee shop, on Monday 23 January. The first opened yesterday at the Strood Community Project (High Street) and others are being planned in Gillingham and Rainham.

Helen looks pleased as she receives the cheque from the Mayor of Medway, Councillor Ted Baker, as Major Alec looks on.

The first Saturday in December is often a busy day for the Band and 2011 was no exception. A lunchtime contribution to Christmas Songs of Praise in Rochester Cathedral was the first of two separate engagements for this hard working group.

This event has become a integral part of Rochester’s traditional Dickensian Christmas Festival and the Cathedral was once again filled to capacity as members of the public joined enthusiastically in th singing of the more well known Christmas carols (Once in Royal David’s City, Away in a Manger,O little town of Bethlehem and O come, all ye Faithful)

The service was led by Canon Jean Kerr, Canon Missioner of Rochester, who also gave a clearly illustrated reflection on how Christ is crowded out of Christmas in the 21st Century. The Boy Choristers of Rochester Cathedral Choir enhanced to celebration with an interesting carol contribution.

Canon Jean Kerr

After a short break the willing musicians made their way to the West Malling Baptist Church for an evening’s Christmas concert in aid of ROPE (Relief for Oppressed People Everywhere). The programme comprised entirely Christmas music and included ‘Angel Trumpets’, ‘Born for You’, ‘Sweet Chiming Christmas Bells’ (Euphonium Solo – Adrian Horwood), Rise up Shepherd and ‘The Festive Season’ in the first half which also included audience participation with a ‘Carol Set’ using the first verse of seven different carols in medley form. ‘Noel’, ‘Nativity Swing’, ‘Nowell’ and ‘Season’s Greetings’ completed the evening together wit a further ‘Carol Set’, this time of six carols.

Graham Fairbairn, Chief Executive of ROPE expressed thanks, not only to the Band but also to the church members who have worked so hard throughout the year in support of the charity’s work.

Graham Fairbairn (centre) talks with Bandmaster Carl Woodman and Major Alec Still

Every Saturday between now and Christmas Day will be similarly hard working for the members of the Band and Chatham Songsters will also be involved in a number of special seasonal events. Funds raised will be used for the benefit of many needy people so the effort is not made grudgingly. We ask God’s blessing on Salvation Army music groups throughout the world who seek to bring the Christmas message to all people everywhere.

Emma Davis reports on the recent Cobham Hall reunion organised by her father Greg.

Emma Greg

She writes:

On Saturday 12^th November, Maidstone Salvation Army hall was buzzing with the arrival of seventy excited musicians for a one-day reunion. Every one of the delegates, some of whom had travelled the length of the country to take part in the day, were former students of the Salvation Army’s National School of Music between 1977 and 1990, when it was held at Cobham Hall in Kent.

After a cup of tea, some perusing of poster-sized whole school photos and a quick chat with old friends, it was straight into rehearsals for the evening’s concert. The Band was very ably led by Howard Evans (Boscombe), while Susan Turner (Stowmarket) shared her expertise with the Girls’ Chorus. All the music chosen for the concert had been performed previously at a Cobham Hall festival, meaning some old classics were resurrected, such as ‘Paean’ (Peter Graham), “Mid All the Traffic’ (Paul Marshall), ‘The Old Wells’ (Eric Ball) and ‘Gone My Care’ (Ray Steadman-Allen). The rehearsals were an opportunity not only to learn the notes, but also to renew friendships and to revisit fond memories of the Cobham Hall Music Schools, which were important and even defining weeks in the lives of those who attended.

The whole school then joined together to rehearse the massed items, which included ‘Come, Join Our Army’ and ‘Jesus, the Name’, both by Lieut-Colonel Norman Bearcroft. The pieces were conducted by the composer, who had flown from his home in New York and was also the compere for the evening.

The delegates were served a well-deserved roast dinner which was preceded, in true Music School style, by a sung grace to the tune of ‘Harton Lea’. In the spirit of condensing a week at Music School into a day, the dessert was also preceded by a sung grace, this time to ‘Hernando’s Hideaway’. It was evident from the noise level and the regular outbreaks of laughter that ‘the Cobham days’ were an inexhaustible and enjoyable topic of mealtime conversation.

A good number of family and friends came to support the evening’s concert, which opened with an invigorating massed performance of the march ‘Cobham Hall’ (Norman Bearcroft), including the singing of ‘Able to Save’ by the Girls’ Chorus. Norman’s enthusiastic and easygoing hosting style was enjoyed by all, as were the anecdotes from previous Music Schools. The standard of performance from both sections was remarkable given the short period of rehearsal time – the Girls’ Chorus’ rendition of Eric Ball’s ‘Morning Song’ was beautifully sung, creating a calm yet uplifting atmosphere which the audience respected by remaining silent at the conclusion.

The Band’s playing of ‘March Militaire Francais’(Saint-Saens arr. Michael Kenyan) was to an impressive standard, but the most challenging item on the programme must have been Ray Steadman-Allen’s well-loved ‘Romans 8’. The piece holds a special significance for ‘Cobhamites’, as it was composed especially for the Music School in 1985 to fit in with the topic of the Bible study sessions throughout the week. The Band coped well with the technical demands of the music, but more importantly conveyed well the emotion of the topic it describes; God’s promise of future glory to those who follow him. The intense silence that followed the last chord will surely long remain in the memories of those present.

Special thanks were given to the three conductors for their hard work, and to Greg Davis (Chatham), the main organiser of the event, who initiated the idea of a reunion through a social networking site. The whole school then presented Norman Bearcroft’s ‘Just as I Am’, which brought a busy and exciting day to a poignant close.

This reunion was a precursor to a full reunion to be held at Cobham Hall. Any “Cobhamites” who may be interested in a future reunion are encouraged to join the Facebook group for “The Salvation Army National School of Music Cobham Hall”.

We have just been advised that a Salvation Army Brass Group will be playing carols at the Bluewater Shopping Mall, near Dartford, tomorrow (Sat 19 November) at the launch of their Christmas season. The group will be playing between 11am and 12.30pm.

This year’s Christmas Carol Concerts will be performed in the Salvation Army hall in Church Street, Chatham, on Saturday 10 December (6pm) and Sunday 11 December (4pm).

The theme of the concerts will be ‘Angels’. Tickets (£5, concessions £4) will be available shortly so watch this space or contact us for further details.

For some time now music written by Salvation Army composers and published by the Salvation Army has been available for non-Salvationist music groups to perform. Composers such as our own Lt. Col. Ray Steadman-Allen have enjoyed a wider circulation of their music and their ministry.

Lt. Col. Ray Steadman-Allen

Many of the world’s top brass bands have taken advantage of the extensive repertoire now available to them (click here for the World of Brass website) but we recently received an enquiry from one of Europe’s lesser known groups, The Christian Groninger Koperensemble, (Holland) about  a composition of Ray’s entitled ‘The Perfect Love’ (Flugel Horn solo). The group has several Salvationists amongst its number and one of them has a recording of this music which the ensemble would love to use. Happily Ray has been able to help them in their quest and we wish them much pleasure (and blessing) as they enjoy performing his wonderful music. The picture below shows the band; our correspondent (Popko Tromp) is second from the right in the trombones.

The Christian Groninger Koperensemble

Lt. Col. Ray Steadman-Allen has also been able to provide Popco with a contact in the Amsterdam Staff Band of The Salvation Army which will be visiting his home corps in a couple of weeks time. God richly blesses the fellowship of Salvation Army and other musicians throughout the world.

The Salvation Army’s use of music in worship is well known and it has many musicians within its ranks.

Chatham Band

It is good to see, therefore, that the City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra is offering anyone under the age of 18 a feast of classical music for just £1 per show in its new season at Chatham’s Central Theatre.

The first of three concerts will take place on Saturday 19 November featuring music by Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak. Further concerts will take place on 3 March and 19 May 2012.

The regular prices for individual tickets are £9, £12 and £15 with concessions for seniors, available from the Central Theatre Box Office (01634 338338). For further information about the City of Rochester  Symphony Orchestra click here

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A capacity audience greeted Lt. Col. Ray Steadman-Allen (OF)* on the occasion of his 89th birthday celebration concert at Maidstone last weekend.

Lt.Col. Ray Steadman-Allen

Participating in the concert were Chatham Songsters and the South London Fellowship Band under the leadership of Songster Leader Adrian Horwood and Major George Whittingham. The special guest soloist for the evening was Brett Baker (sponsorship by ‘World of Brass‘), principal trombone of the world famous Black Dyke Band.

L to R: Adrian Horwood, Major George Whittingham, Brett Baker

The Band

The Songsters

The concert, which was arranged to promote Lt. Col. Joy Steadman-Allen’s Parkinson’s Project, comprised entirely the music of RSA and began with the march ‘ Crown of Conquest’ which heralded the entry of the guests. During the programme the Songsters contributed ‘Vesper’, ‘Marching Along’, ‘After the rain’, ‘Whosoever will’, ‘This age of rockets’ (with the band), ‘God of all wonders’ and ‘What a friend’. The Band’s further contributions were ‘Wonders begin’, ‘Lord of the Sea’, ‘Neath Italian skies’ and ‘His guardian care’. The band also featured in accompaniment to Brett’s beautifully executed solos, ‘Concert Piece for Trombone’, My story and song’, ‘Share my yoke’ and ‘The Eternal Quest’.

Lt. Col. Joy Steadman-Allen

Brett with the Band

Both daughters of Ray & Joy played important roles in the proceedings. Rosemary reminded us of the Christian environment in which Ray’s music has had such an important place, reading scripture from Romans 8:31-39 (a favourite reading of Ray’s) and offering thought provoking comment emphasising the message of salvation and hope we have in Jesus Christ, whilst Reverend Barbara made an appeal on behalf of her mother’s charity project which, through personal messages sent to many Parkinson’s sufferers around the world, brings so much encouragement to them.

Rosemary Barbara

At the end of the evening a cheque for £500, the proceeds from the concert, was presented to Joy.

Whilst this was a shared event with others we would like to offer the warm, affectionate, greetings of the Chatham Corps to Ray and Joy on this special occasion. They have both added so much to the richness of the fellowship of the corps and, in particular, have never lost their love for the many new Christians and other worshippers the corps has been privileged to welcome in recent times.

GOD BLESS YOU BOTH!

* Order of the Founder