7th Annual United Hythe Bands Concert

“Praise” was very much in evidence when the Hythe Band of the Salvation Army (Bandmaster Richard Carroll) joined with the Hythe Town Concert Band for their seventh annual united bands concert. Guest soloist for this year’s event was Songster Leader Fred Aberg from Folkestone, who thrilled the crowd with his cornet, flügelhorn and trumpet solos.

This year, the Hythe Songsters were also invited to take part in the concert, adding a terrific new dimension through their vocal strength and evident passion for the words they sang.

Following the song Total Praise, Captain Phil Layton proclaimed a Gospel invitation like to the theme. This also served as the introduction for the Salvation Army band’s principal piece of the evening, Reflections in Praise, written by Songster Leader Wesley Carroll. At the conclusion of the piece the audience was silent as the Holy Spirit took control of the moment.

The second half of the concert featured the Hythe Town Concert Band, playing a program of toe-tapping file scores and classical transcriptions. Even during the secular half of the event, there was a spiritual element, with Fred Aberg’s playing of Blessed Assurance being particularly poignant.

The Right Worshipful Mayor of Hythe and Speaker for the Confederation of Cinque Ports, Councillor Alan Ewart-James, said, “The 2009 season of St. Leonard’s Church concerts opened with a spectacular band concert given by the Hythe Band of the Salvation Army and the Hythe Town Concert Band. The Salvation Army band along with their Songsters really raised the roof and the big band sound of the Hythe Town Concert Band filled the church with such wonderful melodies that it made me realise how lucky we are to have such musical talent in our town.”