July Sunshine for Melbourne Staff Band

The Melbourne Staff Band (Bandmaster Ken Waterworth) visited the Sunshine Parish of the Uniting Church on Sunday, July 20. The band participated in the morning worship at the church and also presented an afternoon festival. Four new members made their first Staff Band appearances: cornetists Joshua Yip, Ben Anderson, and Gail van Gaalen; and Kevin Still on tenor horn.

The Staff Band began the morning with a prelude to worship, which included two solo items: the cornet solo "Be Thou My Vision" (James Curnow), soloist Ken Whittaker, and the flügelhorn solo "His Eye Is On the Sparrow" (Stephen Bulla), soloist Garry Todd.

The Executive Officer of the Staff Band, Lt.-Colonel Peter Callender, introduced the chorus "To Be Like Jesus" to the congregation, which was made up mainly of non-Salvationists. This was an introduction for his message later in the service, which was entitled "To be like Jesus - Full of Joy".

Musical items presented by the band during the morning service included a vocal arrangement by Thomas Mack, "By His Hand". Bandsman Jonathon Still contributed with the vocal solo "Christ In me". The band added to the atmosphere of praise by playing "Shine On Us" (William Gordon).

Following lunch and a time of Christian fellowship with the Sunshine Uniting congregation, the Staff Band opened the afternoon festival with Michael Kenyon's transcription of Glinka's "Russlan and Ludmilla", followed by the march "Steadfast" (Martin Cordner). Features and solos performed during the festival included two pieces composed by Ralph Pearce: the trombone feature "There Is a Redeemer" and the euphonium duet "Glory", performed by Nigel Atwill and Mark Hamilton. Other soloists included Jamie Smith (tenor horn), playing Norman Bearcroft's "Green Hill", and cornetist Neil Roper, playing "This Is My Story" (Olav Lundqvist).

William Himes' masterpiece "Aspects of Praise" was the major composition for the festival. Based on the hymn tune Azmon, the work presents four movements evoking praise in varied circumstances - joy, meditation, sadness and persecution, and fellowship. This was followed by another Himes composition with a praise theme, "Endless Praise". The band formed a vocal ensemble to offer an arrangment of the lively "Standing in the Need of Prayer".

The concert ended with "Chariots" (William Gordon) and Erik Leidzén's march "Manhattan", both conducted by Deputy Staff Bandmaster Paul Smith.

Sources:
Melbourne Staff Band
Sunshine Uniting

Posted by Webmaster 17 September 2003 05:32:34