Christmas Concert at Hayling Island Community Centre

On Saturday, 12 December 2009, the Solent Area Fellowship Band (Bandmaster Chris Kennett) joined with the Hayling Island Choir to present a concert of Christmas music at the Hayling Island Community Centre.

Following three items from the choir, Star Carol (John Rutter), Child in a Manger (arr. John Rutter) and A Maiden Most Gentle (arr. Andrew Carter), the congregation, choir and band joined together in the carol O Come, All Ye Faithful.

The Fellowship Band’s first items were Yuletide Rag (Richard Phillips) and Christmas Praise (Noel Jones). The choir then presented Shepherds’ Farewell (Hector Berlioz), Sussex Carol (arr. David Willcocks) and And the Glory of the Lord (George Frederick Handel).

Another opportunity for the congregation, choir and band to join in a carol came between two contrasting band items – Troika (arr. Alan Fernie) and Robert Redhead’s suite The Joy of Christmas – and three further contributions from the choir, See Amid the Winter’s Snow, Gabriel’s Message and Jingle Bells (all three arr. David Willcocks).

The second half of the concert started with three songs presented by the local Mill Rythe Junior School Choir (led by Bernie Marshall and Lisa Rae). Their contributions were The Christmas Song, In the Bleak Mid-Winter and Sing a Song of Christmas Cheer.

An item with a difference then followed, from the Hayling Island U3A Handbell Group. The ringers contributed three items, Good King Wenceslas, O Come, All Ye Faithful and Jingle Bells. All of the items were arranged by the group’s conductor, Derek Dunn, who is a member of the Solent Area Fellowship Band.

All present again joined in a carol before the choir sang The Twelve Days of Christmas (arr. John Rutter) and the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. The evening concluded with Arthur Worrell’s arrangement of a Merry Christmas sung by the choir before the Fellowship Band sent everyone home with a foot-tapping rendition of Jingle Bells.

During the Christmas season, the Solent Area Fellowship Band also participated in carol concerts at Southampton Eastpoint Centre and Petersfield Welsh Society.