Report: Concert with Cradley Heath SA Band – 28 February 2009
March 9, 2009 by Rob Westwood-Payne
Filed under Events, News
Report by Assistant Songster Sergeant Ken Smith:
On the evening of Saturday 28 February 2009, Cradley Heath Salvation Army Band and Songsters were invited to give a concert at Dudley Port Methodist Church in Tipton, as part of the church’s Mens’ Fellowship anniversary celebrations.
We gave a full and enjoyable programme in which the band played nine pieces of music and the songsters contributed eight songs.
The church itself is a modern building with a full range of rooms including a kitchen, where the church tries to meet everyone’s needs in its community. As with many modern buildings, the central heating system was very efficient, which soon became evident as members of both sections became hot under the collar! I don’t know which was redder - the band’s festival tunics or the faces of the band and songsters! And both the audience and section members alike welcomed the twenty minute interval.
I’m glad to say the evening was successful and a big thank you must go to our hosts for looking after us so well.
The band was assisted by Derek Grinter (Bass Trombone - Droitwich), Major Ray Baddams (1st Baritone) and John Reid (2nd Trombone - Dudley). Captain Liz Hancock gave the thought around Scripture, speaking about the book “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” by Philip Yancey.
Gail Westwood-Payne danced elegantly to “So You Would Come”.
But as usual, the performers who stole the evening were the timbrels, who played “I Will Enter His Gates” - and not just because they circulated the air while they were playing!
The band concluded their contribution with the Meditation “My Comfort and Strength” by Brian Bowen. The songsters ended the concert with Richard Smallwood’s “Total Praise”.
Thanks to must go to the band and songsters’ “groupies” - those who faithfully support us wherever we play and sing.
You can see photos from the evening here.
Two videos of the songsters performing the songs Creation Sings! and When We Cannot See Our Way:
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Rob Westwood-Payne grew up in The Salvation Army at Norwich Citadel. He left Norwich to study at the University of Warwick and became fully involved in the music centre there culminating in his conducting Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to a full house in Symphony Hall in Birmingham. He also transferred to The Salvation Army at Coventry City, where he became Songster Leader at the age of 21. He was made Songster Leader at Cradley Heath in April 1998 shortly before marrying Gail in the following October. He is a former leader of the West Midlands Divisional Youth Chorus and is currently Programme Director at the West Midlands Divisional Summer School for The Salvation Army. He is an Associate Solicitor in the Licensing Team of a national practice based in the south west.
just looked at the vidio of your event at dudley port well what can i say exalent as allways….