Endless Praise

One of the best bands in the Salvation Army produce a well crafted release under the baton of conductor Richard Phillips.

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Kettering Citadel Band
Conductor Richard Phillips
SP&S Ltd: SPS 234 CD
Total playing time: 61.21 mins 

For his second recording since being commissioned as Bandmaster at Kettering, Richard Phillips has chosen a varied and challenging programme. 

Tone set

The tone is set right at the beginning with Dean Jones’ “Glorifico Aeternum”, given a vigorous and committed reading, full of verve and attack in the louder sections, but with delicate phrasing and pointing in the quieter passages. The combination of traditional hymn and contemporary worship song can be difficult to bring off, but the band copes well with the mixture of styles, taking “Somebody Prayed for Me” at a slightly steadier pace than usual, but with a good rhythmic feel to it. The band produces a clear, full tone, although there can be a tendency to harshness at times, as if they are being pushed a little too hard.

Subtle

It is 25 years since Leslie Condon died whilst carolling with Croydon Citadel Band, and his transcription of Joy Webb’s “I Can Think of Him” is included as a tribute. It is a good illustration of the way Les lavished as much care and attention on simple arrangements as he did on his major works. It is a straightforward two verse setting with no great technical difficulties, and the playing from the band is subtle and sensitive.

Dudley Bright’s vibrant overture “Excelsior” was originally written for big band, and formed part of a Youth Spectacular at the 1990 International Congress. Older songs open and close the work, with “The World for God” and “We’ll keep the old Flag flying”, but both are given a distinctly modern twist. In between come the reflective “At thy feet I bow adoring”, Ray Steadman-Allen’s bluesy setting of “Glory to his Name” (with some fine flugel playing from Michael Barrett), and the theme chorus written for the event, entitled “World Army Youth”.

Modern setting

Another modern setting of an old hymn follows, with Erik Silfverberg’s “Praising”. Fanny Crosby’s hymn “Blessed Assurance” has been given a samba treatment by Donna Peterson, and the band adjusts well to the syncopated writing, the playing suitably relaxed, with meandering counter-melodies weaving around the melody and with excellent support from the percussion section.

The band’s Principal Euphonium and Deputy Bandmaster is Gary Rose, former first baritone and vocal soloist with the International Staff Band, and his lightish tone is used to good effect in “A Little Prayer” (Glennie, arr Childs), with some fine sustained playing.

Tribute

The title track, William Himes’ “Endless Praise”, was written in tribute to Commissioners Raymond and Merlyn Cooper, former leaders of the Salvation Army’s USA Southern Territory. Based on three familiar songs, the trumpeting at the start leads into “My Saviour’s Love”, with crisp dotted rhythms and prominent tuned percussion. 

“Blessed Assurance” (the traditional tune this time!) is entrusted to the trombone – fine laid-back playing here - and “Joyful, Joyful” (Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”) is given a treatment with frequently changing rhythms and harmonies before culminating in a powerful coda dominated by driving xylophone.

Powerful climax

The first of two arrangements by Richard Phillips is of the evocative prayer “Bring Him Home” from “Les Miserables”. This heart-felt plea is given an uncluttered setting with the music being left largely to speak for itself, with an effective rise to a powerful climax towards the end before a final diminuendo. The words are printed in full, and the sleeve-note makes mention of those around the world thinking of sons and daughters involved in one of today’s trouble-spots.

Kenneth Downie wrote “Praise Tribute” for the International Staff Band, and it abounds with both rhythmical and melodic references to Wilfred Heaton’s march “Praise”, although the main theme used is the Manx melody “The Good Old Way”. In many ways it is a parody in the original musical sense of the word, without the modern-day tendency towards ridicule or irony.

Reflection

Richard Phillips’ second contribution is an extended reflection on the chorus “Be still for the Presence (of the Lord, the Holy one is here)”. The mood of the music is matched to successive verses as the lyrics speak of “The Presence of the Lord”, “The Glory of the Lord” and “The Power of the Lord”, with the interpolation of the tune “Be Glad in the Lord and Rejoice”.

The second item from the pen of Dean Jones is the popular “El es el Senor”, based on the chorus “He is the Lord”. Here the players manage successfully to lose their inhibitions and produce a more convincing Spanish style than is often the case, especially in the trumpet interjections.

Resurgam

Kettering end the recording with Eric Ball’s “Resurgam”, a work that has a place in the world of contesting as well as in The Salvation Army, whose eventual production of the work in the Festival Series was as a facsimile of the original publication. 

When listening to the disc as programmed, the gap before the start of “Resurgam” is not really long enough, and the opening phrase seems to emerge almost before the exuberant “El es el senor” has properly died away, which lessens the effect of the hushed opening. It is a carefully thought-out reading, with fine solos from both Gary Rose and from Principal Cornet Gary Fountain. 

The powerful presentation of the “Dies Irae” theme leads into confident and convincing shot notes, and it is a performance in which band and conductor are not afraid to take risks. The band maintains the tension well in the slower sections which are frequently drawn out and held back, whilst meeting the challenges of the faster sections most effectively. The reprise of the initial theme towards the end is well controlled and finely balanced.

Care

Much care has gone into this production: the 16-page booklet being is quite striking in appearance and the printing, in yellow on a black background, is commendably clear. The extensive notes by Kettering Commanding Officer Major Melvyn Ackroyd focus on putting the music into context in terms of the band’s mission, and there is a list of band personnel, as well as a brief history of the band and a biographical note on Richard Phillips. 

The playing on the whole is first class, particularly in the quieter passages, although as previously stated the tone can coarsen at times, especially at higher dynamics and in the climaxes. Notwithstanding, this is a notable contribution from a first class combination.

Peter Bale

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