The Enfield Citadel Band has just become the first SA band for many years to make a welcome cross border tour to Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Visits

The band recently visited Dublin, Cork and Belfast; performing in two social centres, a music conservatoire, church and a Salvation Army Corps.

Enfield is no stranger to making its musical mark by crossing borders — both musical and geographical — being one of the first Salvation Army bands to perform with many of the best secular brass bands in the world on their many travels.

Anniversary celebration

This visit included two outdoor concerts in social centres in Dublin and a concert in the Curtis Auditorium at the prestigious Cork School of Music, alongside tuba virtuoso Les Neish.

Hosted by the centenary celebrating St Nicholas Brass Band, it was the first visit to Cork by a Salvation Army Band since the early 1990s.

The following day the band travelled to Belfast where they performed to a 500 strong audience in Willowfield Parish Church with renowned singing star, Peter Corry. The mini-tour was rounded off with the band leading two Sunday services at Belfast Temple joined by guest Executive Officer, Major Paul Hilditch.

I was thrilled to be able to return to my homeland with Enfield and perform concerts of music that I'm sure excited, inspired and spiritually uplifted our listenersBandmaster Jonathan Corry

Thrilled

Bandmaster Jonathan Corry told 4BR: "I was thrilled to be able to return to my homeland with Enfield and perform concerts of music that I'm sure excited, inspired and spiritually uplifted our listeners.

The warmth of Irish hospitality was simply wonderful."