Hendon Night 2014

With the summer break over it was back to some intense rehearsals ready for what has become something of a fixed event in our diary. Our “Hendon Night” this year,  as well as launching the Abundance CD, featured, as guest soloist, Ruth Betteridge, soprano.

Ruth has recently completed studies at The Royal Northern College of Music and is rapidly establishing herself in her chosen genre as mentioned in our programme notes (see below). Her singing delighted a very appreciative audience and was ably accompanied by our own Sue Avison.

We were also delighted to have Hendon YP Band providing youthful music under their conductor Gavin Mann. The LCFB’s own Principal Cornet, David Thomas gave a fine performance of Kenneth Downie’s Oasis and the band  presented Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s Vitae Aeternum in addition to numbers featured on the new Abundance CD. A  good night of  Salvation Army music!

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Ruth Betteridge biography – click on image to read in full

 

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Concert programme – click on image to view full version

 

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2014 Happenings

Following the much publicised visit to Tiptree, the year progressed with well attended rehearsals and an encouraging succession of concerts. Late March brought an intimate concert at Barnet, a small hall and a relatively large band presents challenges but we are always pleased to support the corps were we regularly rehearse.  Items from our newly developed repertoire were featured and the closing items reflected the rapidly approaching Easter season.  An excerpt from Les Condon’s Easter Glory followed by an appropriate word from Scripture concluded the evening.

In past years we have become a “regular” at Abbots Langley Parish Church Flower Festival. This year our third visit was ahead of the festival but was no less attended.  Music and soloists to appear on our new Abundance CD were featured as well as the usual invitation for the audience to participate in a congregational song…Happy Day always goes down well using the “Red Book” setting. Our thanks and appreciation to Andrew Taylor and his team for making us so welcome yet again.

A brief break in proceedings - the band and David Daws

LCFB in a recording session for their CD ‘Abundance’

Mid May saw us engaged in recording our new Abundance CD. The acoustics of All Saints Parish Church at East Finchley and the professionalism of Brian Hillson and his World of Sound team together gave the band a tremendous opportunity to maximise its potential. The results can be sampled elsewhere on this site.  We were grateful to have two outstanding guest soloists supporting us, Dudley Bright, principal trombone of The London Symphony Orchestra and David Daws, principal euphonium of the GUS Band. Dudley featured his own arrangement of Joy Webb’s Share My Yoke and David  plays Norman Bearcroft’s  The Better World. David’s seemingly faultless performances following his transformation from an international cornet soloist  continues to bring astonishment and inspiration to all us  privileged to witness his re invention.

Our July date at Stotfold Salvation Army was intended to follow a band barbecue organised by Andy Thomas, our principal trombone and deputy bandmaster at Stotfold. Unfortunately weather conditions confined us to the hall  for a enjoyable indoor buffet with plenty to eat and drink.

Our concert was at the local secondary school academy, by this time the weather had brightened and it was inspiring to see such a full hall. In addition to guests Dudley Bright and David Daws, we also featured our own soloists David Marley and David Thomas. As the programme notes indicate accompaniments were shared between the band and Susan Avison (piano).

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Concert programme – click on image to view full version

 

 

 

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New CD recording – ‘Abundance’

During May the band spent two successful days recording tracks for their new CD ‘Abundance’. Guest soloists include David Daws (Euphonium) and Dudley Bright (Trombone).

Below are some photographs from the recording sessions.

Watch this space for the CD which will be released later this year in the autumn!

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Into 2014

 

Tiptree

February saw the band revisiting Tiptree Parish Church . Our visit some two years ago was enjoyed by all and it was with anticipation that we journeyed to this part of Essex for a return visit, this under the leadership of our new bandmaster, Julian Bright.

With last year’s  Olympic Games still fresh in our minds , the opening number was  John Williams’ Olympic Fanfare and Theme.  Eiliv Herikstad’s festival march Shoeburyness followed before  the  band presented Eric Ball’s ever fresh Sound Out The Proclamation. Principal Cornet David Thomas dashed through Whirlwind ( Peter Graham) before William Himes’ Soli de Gloria brought contrast to the programme.  The Call of The Gospel was originally written for the LCFB by Martin Cordner and featured on the Bandology CD, it was good to present it again on our programmes.  The preceding the interval  was  another Bill Himes favourite, Procession to Covenant . Although well received, little did we realise the repercussion’s of the particular rendition….more later.

After the break  which allowed some catching up with old and new friends, the programme included Shine on Us,  Marcus Venables’ festival march Abundance and  John Williams’s  Hymn to the Fallen.

Work commitments lead to the absence of our principal trombone for the evening. We were more than compensated with the presence of Dudley Bright, principal trombone of the London Symphony Orchestra. Dudley ‘s  musicianship was  a delight to experience, no more so in his own arrangement of  Joy Webb’s  Share my Yoke.

The evening drew to a close with Fucik’s Florentine March arranged  by Frank Renton .

Barnet

Into March and the band gave a concert on its home patch of Barnet . The corps continues to support the band by allowing us a band room and rehearsal facilities. In addition to items on our regular programmes we presented a number of new numbers including Leidzen’s The Invisible Army,  Flugel Solo Rocking Carol  ( Jim Rogers) and The Prayer, Cornet and Euphonium Duet ( Dave Thomas and Kevin Kavanagh.) 

The closing half of the concert took the form of a prelude to Easter and included excerpts from Easter Glory, and appropriate readings Congregational singing and piano contributions from our two pianists  Caroline Seredynski  and Susan Avison brought contrast to the brass.

Winter Colds and Sneezes

An interesting diversion from our normal objectives over took the band when we visited Tiptree. Whilst playing Procession to Covenant one of our second trombones was overcome with an unsupressible sneeze. At the time the incident passed without too much commotion, however as a result of the performance being posted on our You Tube channel it was not long before events reached unimaginable proportions.  After being featured on Radio 5’s Danny Baker Show matters spiralled and after just 4 weeks 2.2 million hits were recorded on our web site.  The incident was reported locally on radio , television, and  newspapers. On line reports appeared in the Daily Telegraph, The New York Daily Times, to name but two. ….If you really want to know more please click here.

 

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The Tiptree sneeze

The Tiptree Sneeze has attracted both national and worldwide attention!

Here are two radio interviews which feature this now ‘viral’ phenomenon:

  • BBC Radio 5 Live – The Danny Baker Show
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  • BBC Radio Essex – Breakfast Show with James Whale
    2. BBC Radio Essex - T Smith interview 19-March-2014     

 

BBC Essex also featured the ‘event’ in their online magazine which can be viewed by clicking on the image below.

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The Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital Christmas Carol Concert

The band was delighted to support this popular event staged annually at St. Pauls, Knightsbridge.

The congregation warmly received a varied programme of festive music which preceded the concert. Items included The Shining Star ( Peter Graham) Deck The Hall ( Barrie Gott) The Everlasting Light ( Martin Cordner) and the almost obligatory Christmas Joy (Leidzen). Later, as guests processed  to the adjacent Berkeley Hotel for a  post concert reception, they were serenaded by an ensemble from the band. This concluded with yet another spirited rendition of Christmas Joy!

You can read the official event report from Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital Charity here.

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