Concert in Tipton by Cradley Heath Sections

On the evening of Saturday, 28 February 2009, the Cradley Heath Band (Bandmaster Rob Westwood-Payne) and Songsters were invited to give a concert at Dudley Port Methodist Church in Tipton, as a part of the church’s Mens’ Fellowship anniversary celebrations.

The program was a full one, with the band playing nine items and the songsters contributing eight songs. In addition to the regular members, the band was assisted by Derek Grinter (Droitwich) on bass trombone, Major Ray Baddams on first baritone and John Reid (Dudley) on second trombone. A brief Scripture lesson was given by Captain Liz Hancock, centered around the book What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey.

In addition to the band and songsters, the concert also featured Gail Westwood-Payne, who danced elegantly to So You Would Come, and the timbrels, who performed a drill to I Will Enter His Gates.

The high points of the evening were the band’s performance of the mediation My Strengh, My Tower (Brain Bowen) and the songsters’ rendition of Richard Smallwood’s Total Praise.