Top Brass Christmas Celebration

On Thursday, 3 December 2009, the Birmingham Citadel Band (Bandmaster Graham Lamplough) presented a concert of Christmas music at Wylde Green United Reform Church.

A capacity crowd gathered to hear the band start the concert with Peter Graham’s exciting march The Wonder of Christmas. Compèred by Allister du Plessis, the program was punctuated with Scripture readings and carols.

Because of a prior work commitment, Bandmaster Lamplough was unable to attend and so Deputy Bandmaster Mark Sharman conducted the band. Selections included popular festive favorites, including Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride, as well as Salvation Army Christmas classics such as the march The Spirit of Christmas. Recent arrangements by Steven Ponsford and Philip Rayment of the familiar carols O Come, O Come Immanuel and See amid the Winter’s Snow, respectively, provided contemporary musical styles as contrast.

The band’s performance of Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s A Christmas Finale was particularly well-received by a most appreciative audience. The concert proved to be a wonderful evening of festive music. Proceeds from the concert were donated to the Leprosy Mission.