Benefit Concert for Ipswich Citadel Building Fund

At the invitation of the Ipswich Citadel Corps of the Salvation Army, the Hendon Band (Bandmaster David Rudd) presented a concert in aid of the Ipswich corps building fund. On Saturday, 14 March 2009, the band took the stage with a capacity audience in attendance. The performance began in bright style with Salvation Song (William Gordon), which brought an enthusiastic response from the crowd. The first half of the concert featured items from the traditional brass band repertoire, culminating with the major work for the evening, Eric Ball’s Song of Courage.

The first half of the concert also featured several of the band’s soloists, each of whom maintained the high standard for which they are known. Anthony Scannell (euphonium) provided a sensitive presentation of Annie Laurie (David Catherwood), while the smooth style of Paul Hopkins (trombone) was ideally suited to Autumn Leaves (Bill Geldard). Paul’s brother, Stephen Hopkins provided some variation to the program with a piano solo, while Philip Cobb (cornet) provided a virtuoso performance of William Himes’ Jubilance.

After an interval, the band took its place in “big band” formation for the second half of the concert, featuring music of a lighter nature. This included Lightwalk (Barrie Gott), featuring Nick Tiplady (flügelhorn). The trombone section contributed a presentation of Dick Krommenhoek’s thought-provoking From That Sacred Hill.

At the request of Bandmaster Rudd, Kenneth Downie had provided the band with a beautiful arrangement of In the Love of Jesus, which reminded the listeners of the words associated with the song of that name. In a lighter vein, Swingtime Religion featured the trumpet of Philip Cobb and was intended to bring the concert to its conclusion, but in response to prolonged applause, the band gave an encore – Call of the Cossacks (Peter Graham), featuring Anthony Scannell, Paul Hopkins, Steven Moulton (xylophone) and Philip Cobb as soloists.

In his introductory comments, Bandmaster Rudd mentioned that the mission of the Hendon Band is to spread the Christian gospel and bring people closer to God, a mission which comments subsequently received indicated had been achieved on this occasion. In addition, the evening generated a sum in excess of £1,300 for the Ispwich Citadel Building Fund.