Just Another Fellowship Band Gig?

St Francis Special School in Fareham is a Severe Learning Disabilities school run by Hampshire County Council, founded in 1970’s; it caters for some 90 children between the ages of 3 and 19. A number of the pupils have physical disabilities and complex medical conditions.

Deputy Head Teacher Simon Harmer had invited the band to play to the children so that they could experience the differing sounds of a brass band compared to other music groups they had experienced.

On Friday 5th July, a sunny summer morning, an ensemble of the band gathered in the playground together with the children in their special need chairs and equipment, and the staff alongside them.
Commencing with the rousing march ‘Star Lake’, the children were eager to join in with clapping and shouts of excitement.

Several children took a turn in conducting under the direction of Bandmaster John Bird whilst others played the percussion, and all in their different ways appreciating the chance to be involved; one young girl at the close of her conducting session, remarked to John, “Thank you man!”

The band also played ‘Fill the world with music’, Light up the sunshine’, Praise Party’, ‘South Coast’ and ‘To Regions Fair’, interspersed with some suitable hymn tunes.

This proved to be a most rewarding engagement for the members of the band,all coming away with a desire to repeat the experience another time. Not only did the children enjoy the bright, fun approach to the music, but the staff of the school thanked the band for giving them the pleasure of seeing the positive reactions of the children and them a pleasant musical interlude within their day.

Just another Fellowship band gig – no, this was special! (SCB)

FUNERAL, BANDSMAN RON GRIFITHS

Following our previously sad announcement of Rons passing we can confirm the following.

The funeral service will be held at Porchester Crematorium (PO16 8NE) on Thursday 25th July at 11:30am.

CD RECORDING

Today the band completed a two day recording session for its forthcoming CD.

Two of the hottest days of the year were a marked feature and with doors and windows shut to keep the noise out the heat stayed in!

The band are very grateful for the support of The Chandlers Ford Methodist Church, whose superb worship hall with its great ambience and good acoustics were just perfect and freely given.

Brian Hilson and his team from World of Sound were as always brilliant and guided the band through with such expertise and knowledge aided and abetted by our own associate conductor John Hanchett.

More details of the recording will appear here as the project progresses, the title will be finalised, the contents published and the launch event advertised. We promise to keep you up to date as each of these items are set in concrete.

Exciting times, the journey continues!

ISLE OF WIGHT... Friday 28th June 2013

The Band [Bandmaster John Bird] made a second visit in as many years to our major off-shore haven for tourists, yachtsmen, and lovers of pop-music to play an evening’s music at the Isle of Wight Corps.

Happily, a calm sea and warm weather provided a relaxing prelude to a programme that in the main featured music from the Army’s traditional repertoire.

Eric Ball’s music featured at the beginning and end of the programme with the band at ease and in sympathy with the second movement of “Songs of The Morning” with its setting of May Pike’s words “Begin the Day with God” played as a “Prayer in Music”:and, as a Benediction, with the second movement of “The Pilgrim Way” with his setting of the words first published in English in the Sarum Primer of 1558:

God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.

As a major contribution to the first part of the programme the band played his “Constant Trust” with its references to “Trusting Jesus Day by Day”.

It was a knowledgeable congregation, sensitive to the playing of the band, responding appropriately to the music, and clearly understanding the words that the music portrayed.

Of course there was fun, two great marches, Martyn Thomas’ “South Coast” and Eric Ball’s “Star Lake”, taken at a lively pace for an excellentTimbrel display by the ladies from the home Corps: the Band’s soloists were on top form, Martyn Thomas playing Will Hammond’s cornet solo “In the love of Jesus” with purity of sound and musical sensitivity and Callam Carter with another exciting tenor horn performance of the ‘Rondo from Mozart’s Horn Concerto No 4. There was a sparkling cornet trio, Ray Steadman Allen’s ‘The Veterans’ played by Aubrey Ford, David Morris and Simon Easton that was balanced by Dick Krommenhoek’s Trombone feature ‘From that Sacred Hill’.

The “Message in Song” took the form of Adrian Griffiths’ vocal solo “At this day's end” (Sean Bowman/Geoffrey Nobes); a band song, Leslie Condon’s arrangement of Ernest Fewster’s setting of Catherine Baird’s beautiful poem “When Jesus looked o’er Galilee” accompanied by the trombone section and two Congregational Songs “Guide me o thou great redeemer” and “How Great thou Art”.

Other Band pieces were William Himes Festival arrangement ‘Procession to Covenant’; Brian Bowen’s Meditation ‘My Comfort and Strength’ conducted by Assistant Conductor David Samuels; Ray Steadman Allen’s Selection ‘In Quiet Pastures’: and the now traditional Finale from Rossini’s William Tell Overture to end the concert.

Prayer was offered by Derek Smith, the Bible reading by Trevor Dawson, words of welcome came from Paul Ellis, who plays with the Band when ferries allow: and the words of appreciation came from Corps Bandmaster Michael Jones who played with the Band in its early years and who expressed his delight with an evening of Army music “with a Message”.

The concert over, brief farewells and a rush to the ferry port in mini-buses driven by stalwarts Doug Hulme and Martyn Harris to meet the last evening ferry to the mainland: delayed as always, this time it was said for fear of running aground because of the very low tide: then a rush by hungry bandsmen to form a long and orderly queue at the food bar, and another calm sea and musically prosperous voyage across the Solent as the lights along the Island shore faded and those of Portsmouth came into view. [DD]

RON GRIFITHS

IT is with great sadness we announce the Promotion To Glory of Bandsman Ron Griffiths. Further details will appear here shortly, including arrangements for his funeral service.

In the meantime we salute Ron, a founding member of the band, a close friend to many, inspiration to even more. Our thoughts go out to Connie, his wife and Adrian, his son, who is currently a member of our Trombone section; and to all the rest of the family. We will all miss him tremendously.