The guests for Enfield's pre-contest event were Martn Cordner, who introduced and conducted several of his own pieces, and James Fountain, who started playing the Kettering Citadel's Young People's Band before moving on to the National Youth Brass Band, Virtuosi GUS, Grimethorpe, and ultimately his current position with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
He produced a fine account of Martin’s three-movement 'Fantasia for Cornet', dedicated to Jordan Woodhouse, whose life was cut short at a young age. The solo is built around 'Who is He?' and places considerable demands on the lead - one met with considerable aplomb.
Versatility
Later,James demonstrated his versatility with the soaring lines of 'People', and a beautifully judged reading of 'I Surrender All', written by Andrew Mackereth and based on a melody by David Chaulk.
Martin's compositional input to the concert also included the march, 'Steadfast' and 'Boundless Spirit', a distillation of music written to accompany the Boundless Congress, and which reflects the international and stylistic diversity of the event.
The energising 'Escape Velocity', written for the Amsterdam Staff Band, gets its title from the speed required to get away from earth's gravitational pull, and was placed with just the right break-free pacing, whilst the setting of the chorus 'Jesus be the Centre' contrasted nicely before the Bible message.
Superman
The finale was 'Americana', written for the New York Staff Band. This atmospheric work called on the band to sing in a couple of native American languages. References are included to more recent aspects of American life, including a snippet from the theme to 'Superman'.
This atmospheric work called on the band to sing in a couple of native American languages. References are included to more recent aspects of American life, including a snippet from the theme to 'Superman'.
The rest of the programme was in the safe hands of Don Jenkins, who was presented with a well-deserved Certificate of Appreciation for his service to Salvation Army music over the years.
Paul Sharman's 'Solid Rock' and 'Hide me Now' benefited from his attention to detail, as did the swing-style 'What a Wonderful Day'.
The tour de force, however, was a first-class rendition of 'Symphony of Thanksgiving'. Carefully paced, with tight ensemble and exemplary solo work, it was a performance that any band would be proud of, and great credit to the faithful at Enfield who strive to maintain such high standards despite depleting numbers.
Peter Bale
