LCFB at St. Albans

A warm and eager audience greeted the London Central Fellowship Band (Bandmaster David Daws) on the occasion of its second visit to the St. Albans Salvation Army Hall in the last four years.

A virile rendition of the concert march Bandology (Osterling) set the pace for the evening. This was followed by a varied program from a wide range of musical genres.

Solo contributions included the band’s principal cornet, Dave Thomas, playing Chiapanecas, a Keith Wilkinson arrangement of a Mexican folk song. Ken Stones, euphonium, featured All the Ways God Has Shown (Howard Davies) and Jim Rogers, flügelhorn, presented What a Wonderful World (arr. Alan Fernie). Vocals by Brian Huke brought music from a variety of sources, including an unaccompanied African gospel song.

Contributions from the band included several of the numbers featured on its new recording, Bandology, such as Take-Over Bid (Ray Steadman-Allen), Breezin’ Down Broadway (Goff Richards) and a new festival arrangement by Martin Cordner, The Call of the Gospel, especially written for the band.

The contrast of excitement and vigor against contemplation and profundity was shown by the big band idiom exploited in Rieks van der Velde’s arrangement of How D’ya Like Your Eggs in the Morning and the simple style of Howard Davies’ song arrangement This I Know, based on Ray Bowes’ setting of the words “Jesus loves me, this I know”.

The corps officer at St. Albans, Major David Squibb, brought the gathering to a close with kind words of appreciation to the band followed by the blessing. The band played out with On the King’s Highway (Erik Leidzén).

The London Central Fellowship Band was pleased to welcome John Street into the band on cornet. Ian Grimes returned, following a cycling accident, on Eb bass, and Max Rogers on Bb bass following surgery on his foot. Also returning was Gavin Mann (soprano cornet) after a tour of duty in Germany with the Regimental Band of the Irish Guards.