Enfield Citadel Band

Gainsborough SA
Saturday 20th September

Founded in 1892 as the Tottenham Citadel band, becoming Enfield Citadel band (ECB) in 1972, this fine SA band has been synonymous with the highest level of SA music making and their visit to Gainsborough SA on Saturday 20th September 2003 was no exception. Led by their charasmatic conductor, Bandmaster James Williams MBE (who has been associated with the band since 1944) the band's programme included a great wealth of music all linked together splendidly by the band's executive officer Lieutenant Colonel Lincoln Parkhouse.

The programme opened with Kenneth Downie's wonderful March Fantasy The Joy Bringer, before entering into a time of reflection with Len Ballantine's arr. Mid all the traffic (shenandoah). The band featured three soloists throughout the evening first was a Maurice Patterson from the solo cornet bench who gave a fine rendition of Eric Ball's Clear Skies, before the band's principal trombone (and principal trombone of the ISB), Andrew Justice gave a masterful performance of Terry Camsey's Sing a Happy song which was written especially for Andrew.

In recent years SA policy has changed allowing SA bands to perform works that are published elsewhere, with this in mind ECB and Bandmaster James Williams chose Frank Wright's masterful transcription of Verdi's La Forza del Destino (the force of destiny) and later in the programme performed Philip Sparke's large scale contest work Tallis Variations. These two contest works were performed with great aplomb and directed by Bandmaster Williams in his usual charasmatic manner and are a further testament that ECB are on tip-top form especially after just returning from the summer break 2 weeks ago!!

After the interval the band commenced with Barrie Gott's famous swing arrangement Light Walk which featured the golden sound of the band's flugel horn Malcolm Hynd, before once again featuring Malcolm in Peter Graham's Gaelforce. The band's principal euphonium Keith Loxley displayed his fine artistry in Stephen Bulla's Euphonium Fantasia featuring the hymn tune Westminster Abbey. William Himes's magical arrangement of the celtic hymn tune Amazing Grace, paved the way for Lieutenant Colonel Lincoln Parkhouse to offer a time of reflection and the word of God before the band entered into it's final piece of the evening, Eric Ball's selection The King of Kings. Published in 1931, this selection depicts the life of Christ and uses songs that speak of Salvation through the saviour's sacrifice, woven in the usual manner we come to expect from the pen of Eric Ball.

The band ended what was a most enjoyable evening, in the traditional Enfield Citadel band manner, with the march, The Red Shield by H.C.Goffin.

If this is how well ECB play after two weeks of rehearsals, then we should all look forward with great anticipation to their annual pre-contest festival this year in St. John's Smith square on Friday 17th October.

Jonathan W. Corry

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