The West Midlands Divisional Fellowship Band of the Salvation Army recently visited the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire to perform a concert for COFE POWS, the organisation that represents Second World War Prisoners of War from the Far East conflicts and their dependants.

Spitfire

After a moving remembrance service, the band gave a concert which was accompanied by a fly past by a magnificent Spitfire fighter plane.

Under Bandmaster Charles King, the band presented a varied programme including the marches ‘Minneapolis IV’ and ‘Star Lake’ and also featured a number of soloists including rising euphonium star Micah Parsons who played ‘Song of the Brother’, whilst solo cornet Eddie Toon and soprano player John Shepherd performed, ‘The Cleansing Stream’.

he Memorial Arboretum is a very moving and spiritual place. The band hoped that they contributed in some small way to the whole variety of thoughts memories and emotions which such a gathering will always generateDavid Birch

Moving

David Birch told 4BR: "The Memorial Arboretum is a very moving and spiritual place. The band hoped that they contributed in some small way to the whole variety of thoughts memories and emotions which such a gathering will always generate."