Bandstand Praise

The annual performance on the Oakland’s bandstand, held this year on 6 September 2009, of the Hythe Band of the Salvation Army (Bandmaster Richard Carroll) is a must on the calendars of many people, judging from the size of the crowd eagerly waiting for the program to start, and they were not disappointed.

The band zipped into the old march Sword and Shield with an urgency that set the feet tapping. This was followed by a delightful arrangement of the old chorus Teach Me How to Love Thee written for the band by Songster Leader Wes Carroll, representing a time of prayer. The next item was the ever-popular Scripture Singalong (from the USA Southern Territory reportoire).

Next up were the band’s two brass soloists. First, Wendy Margott gave a powerful witness through her presentation of the cornet solo People Need the Lord. This was followed by Wes Carroll, who gave a delightful performance of the euphonium solo By the Peaceful Shore (Kenneth Ketteringham). The next item, also from the pen of Kenneth Ketteringham, was a march entitled Carnival Parade, featuring the song “Oh I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside” – and, of course, that’s where the band was!

Wes Carroll is a pianist of some renown, having appeared on television, been featured on recordings, and played in many major concert halls in the UK, Europe and the US. By the means of digital technology, Wes played live his arrangement of “Famous Piano Solos”. If the event had been indoors, this would have brought the house down.

A third item arranged by Kenneth Ketteringham, a lovely arrangement of Over the Rainbow was next, followed by Captain Phil Layton introducing Reflections in Praise, a major work for the band in terms of ministry. Using two well-known hymn tunes, “Abide with Me” and “Deep Harmony”, this arrangement by Wes Carroll makes a journey from peaceful tranquility through glorious praise before concluding with a repeated, prayerful amen theme.

What can Salvation Army bands provide in a concert that no other bands can? Yes, that’s right, timbrels. Alyson Found and Wendy Margott mesmerized the audience with a dazzling display, to the march Emblem of the Army and this did bring the house down! This was followed by the ever-popular Tomado de la Mano.

For a number of years now, the band has featured the march Southern New England, which includes the tune “Ottawa”. Recently, the band has added another American march to its repertoire, this time Northern New England, which includes the tune “Happy Song”.

A musical journey around the British Isles followed, before Wes Carroll performed his second piano arrangement, this one entitled Fly Me to the Moon River. Afterwards, some people asked how many notes he had played. The answer, of course, is “all of them!”

The annual program at the Oakland’s bandstand is very much a major ministry for the Hythe Band, and in choosing the old march Golden Jubilee, which contains the tunes “Onward, Christian Soldiers” and “Stand Up for Jesus”, the band expressed its hope and prayer that the members of the audience would be encouraged in their Christian journey.

Videos of some of the band’s repertoire, Wes Caroll at the piano and the timbrels can be viewed via the Hythe Corps web site, hythesalvationarmy.org.uk.