International Staff Band

Conductor: Stephen Cobb
Enfield Citadel
Saturday 29th September

Surprising as it may seem, given the banding heritage at Enfield Citadel, the Corps had not previously hosted the International Staff Band for a weekend visit.  The Saturday night festival was held in the main hall of Highlands School, a room with a lively acoustic which favoured the brighter-toned instruments, and with the front rows of the audience perilously close to the band!  It was the opening weekend of the new ISB season (apart from their contribution to the RSA85 concert the previous Saturday), and was a “home tie” for the two bandsmen who attend Enfield Corps, trombonist Andrew Justice and percussionist Nick Samuels.  

The programme commenced with “Concertante for Cornets and Band” by Stephen Bulla, one movement of a suite written for the USA Southern Territorial Band.  Featuring a concertante group of six cornets, on this occasion standing to the audience’s left, it is written in a baroque style, and incorporates a setting of the “Passion Chorale”. The mellow sounds of the introduction from the bottom half of the band spread throughout the hall, before the entry of the well-balanced cornet ensemble.  

In the lilting, dance-like 6/8 section the band and soloists demonstrated a uniform approach to the varying dynamics, with the overlapping runs between the parts dovetailing neatly, whilst the horn entry introducing the chorale (only three players, in the absence of Stephen Hanover at a family function) was smooth and warm.

The band’s Executive Officer, Lt Col Trevor Davis, introduced the band, referring to the “Passion Chorale” as summing up the band’s purpose, with its emphasis on Jesus as redeemer.  This was followed by an arrangement by Simon Garsh of “Nothing but thy blood”, not to the traditional tune – although that was briefly referred to in the coda – but to a gentle setting by Donna Peterson.  This short, reflective item, with sympathetic percussion backing, led into spoken prayer.

“Cristo Redentor” is the name given to the famous statue of Christ which looks down on the city of Rio de Janiero, and this has provided the inspiration for Stephen Ponsford’s recent composition. This exhilarating contribution to Salvation Army music is suffused with Latin American influences, and makes excellent use of the various tone colours of the brass band.  

The first section featured a powerful opening on basses and euphoniums, driving rhythms with xylophone very prominent, slick slide work from the four-man trombone section, lively cornet figures and an attractive horn trio.  Sustained playing from the middle of the band was backed by percussion decoration reminiscent of “Amazonia” from “Windows of the World”, and when the chorus “Lord, I lift your name on High” appeared, it was in somewhat distorted form, but clearly recognisable.  

One wonders what Ernest Rance would have thought of his tune “Ochills” being presented in minor mode, with chromatic inflections, but it was surprisingly effective.  The final melody, “There is a Redeemer”, came as a triumphant affirmation from the whole band, with prominent runs on euphonium.

After some brief words from Major Bram Williams, recently appointed to Enfield Citadel, the first soloist of the evening was Principal Cornet Kevin Ashman.  Kevin is no stranger to Enfield, having being brought up in nearby Edmonton Corps, and having had further contact when his sister and her husband, now Commissioner Helen Clifton & General Shaw Clifton respectively, were Commanding Officers at the corps.  

Kevin, who occupied the soprano cornet seat for a number of years, demonstrated his skill and control in Norman Bearcroft’s “Song of Exultation”, written for Richard Martin when he was in Enfield Band.  This demanding solo calls for a wide range from the soloist, with numerous bottom G’s and F#s as well as the more expected excursions into the upper register.  

Kevin’s reading was in turns skittish and assertive, supported by some full, rich sounds from the band.  The lively outer sections are based on an old melody “I hate the devil”, but the real heart of the work, as is often the case in Norman Bearcoft’s solos, is the sublime centre section: using the melody “Unsworth”, associated with the words “My Jesus, I love thee”, the soloist produced a beautifully legato line, matched by the band in the tuttis.  

This is followed by a brief link, based on the song “It was on the Cross”, and at the climax (“ . . . but he rose again”) the cornet soared confidently above the band.  The cadenzas, runs and pyrotechnics were all accomplished neatly, whilst the final note rang out thrillingly across the hall.  Amongst those joining in the applause was former ISB Principal Cornet David Daws, who was an Enfield bandsman for many years.

When Aaron VanderWeele toured the UK with the New York Staff Band, he brought with his a new solo by Stephen Bulla entitled “Air ‘n’ Variations”, a pun on his own name.  Not to be outdone, Derick Kane, Principal Euphonium with the ISB since 1978, asked his friend Peter Graham for a solo, the outcome, with another pun in the title, being “Canaan’s Land”.  

Using the old gospel song “Bound for Canaan’s land”, Peter has composed a showcase with all the expected elements of showmanship – runs, whoops, octave leaps, sustained upper register playing – without losing sight of the overall musical line.  After a slow introduction, the soloist increases the tempo, with phrases of the melody being punctuated by flurries of notes.  

When the cadenza comes, it takes the soloist into the stratosphere before descending to the deepest pedals, whilst the central passage, based on the children’s song “A Little Star peeps o’er the Hill”, offers the opportunity for Derick to display his more lyrical qualities, with delicate decorative phrases in the reprise.  Derick was on top form, and as the music moved through the final stretto, and the soloist reached the end of his journey, the audience erupted with enthusiastic applause.

Verses from “Psalm 91” were projected onto the screen to accompany Stuart Watson setting.  The psalmist speaks of dwelling “in the shelter of the most high”, and whilst the music was generally calm and placid, there were undertones indicating impending dangers to be overcome.  This was referred to by Lt Col Davis as he read from the scriptures, explaining that “those who focus their faith on God do not have to live in fear”.  

He then linked these thoughts to the next item, Ray Steadman-Allen’s “The Holy War”, performed by the band the previous week at his 85th birthday concert.  Although taking its inspiration from John Bunyan’s allegory, “The Holy War” does not follow his account in any detail, but presents the conflict between Diabolus and Mansoul in musical terms.  In the lively acoustic, the contrasts in the music seemed all the more effective, with the brightness of the cornets and trombones standing out against the mellower instruments, with the yearning phrases being given just the right emphasis.  

The entry of “Ein Feste Berg” brought some very quiet playing, and Stephen Cobb paced the music effectively, so that the music never seemed rushed.  The percussion playing was excellent, with particularly fine work from Steve Moulton on timpani, although the tubular bells at the end were barely audible against the vigorous brass playing.  The solo work was first class, with Andrew Justice taking the trombone solos, and Iain Parkhouse, in the presence of several members of his family, being brought to his feet following his rendition of the exposed baritone solo. 

As the audience returned to their seats after the interval, the band presented a new work by solo cornet player Paul Sharman of Regent Hall Corps.  Entitled “On duty!” it was based on Sidney Cox’s song “By the Pathway of Duty”, opening with a lively trombone quartet, and featuring all the sections of the band at one stage or other.  The quasi-improvised cornet solo was taken by the composer, with other notable contributions from Andrew Justice on trombone and Gary Fountain, as reliable as ever on soprano.  A circus march style interlude seemed to be bringing the item to an end, but then the tempo was dragged back for a laid-back, big band coda.

Philip Cobb, introduced by Stephen as “the son of the bandmaster”, is starting out on his third year at the Guildhall School of Music.  He sits second man down in the ISB, was featured as a soloist at the Gospel Arts Concert in June, and has just released his first solo recording.  Paul Cosh, one of his trumpet professors, was present to hear his rendition of one of the pieces he played then, and which is also on the new cd, Kenny Baker’s “Virtuosity”.  

Sitting directly in front of the soloist, and only some ten to twelve yards away, gave a good opportunity to appreciate how his reading has matured and developed, now sounding a touch much more relaxed and natural.  With an attractively breathy tone in the quiet middle section, the use of half-valve tones, lip trills, turns and lightning quick runs, his performance had a real improvisatory feel to it, and the audience thrilled at the final run up to the resounding top F finish.

Another item played at the Gospel Arts concert was Len Ballantine’s “Wade in the Water”, using the spiritual of that name, together with “Deep River”, given a Count Basie style treatment.  The horn melody over a walking bass was most effective, and the band seemed quite at home with the swing idiom. 

Another new work from the pen of Paul Sharman was “Blessing and Honour”, an arrangement of a contemporary worship chorus by Gary Sadler and Jamie Harvill.  Up-tempo in style, the melody appeared initially in the middle of the band, with interjections from the cornet bench, before the upper brass took up the refrain.  The writing overall was very busy, with all the players kept occupied, including a lively ostinato pattern in the bass, driving rhythms from the percussion and flourishes from cornets and euphoniums.

Stephen Cobb made mention of the number of devotional pieces which have appeared in recent years featuring the trombone section.  Olaf Ritman’s “When I Survey” is built round the folk song “Waley, Waley”, sometimes associated with the words “When I survey the Wondrous Cross”.  After an atmospheric opening played by the bottom of the band, enhanced by a single tubular bell note and muted cornets, the trombones intone the melody, initially in unison, then blossoming out as they divide into four parts.  

The sensitive accompaniment set off the trombones to good effect, with an unexpected descending scale running smoothly down the band, even in tone from top to bottom.  As the full band took up the tune, the trombones played a unison counter melody, and the piece ended with a reflective coda, as if the trombones were commenting on what had gone before, a final, unresolved suspension seeming to leave a question hanging in the air.

Having replaced Trevor Caffull on BBb bass, Damian Wileman revealed another talent as he moved to the piano to perform Matt Redmond’s “The Father’s Song”, ably filling the slot recently occupied in ISB programmes by Gary Rose.  His clear voice and subtle piano accompaniment ensured that the meaning of the words came across plainly and simply.

The final programmed item was Dean Jones’ “Supremacy”, the title track of the latest ISB recording.  With some similarities in style to his earlier “Glorifico Aeternam” Dean has combined two traditional hymn tunes (“Moscow” and “Pembroke”) with the more recent “Above all Powers”.  Following a rich opening, with tremolos and very full chords, phrases of the tune “Moscow” are introduced, with figures echoing Curnow’s “Psalm 100”.  When the tune appears in full, it is in 4/4 rather than the customary 3/4, decorated with runs on cornet and flugel.  

The band produced some nicely understated playing in the central section, with “Above all powers” featuring solos on soprano, flugel, euphonium and cornet.  There was some crisp double-tonguing from horns and baritones under the trombone solo, and effective rises and falls as the timpani drove the music forward.  The majestic entry of “Pembroke”, associated here with the words “O Jesus, Saviour, Christ Divine”, set against the trumpeting and other figures, was similar in effect to the end of Robert Redhead’s “Quintessence”.  The music maintained the impetus, building up to the final climax, emphasising the “Supremacy” of God referred to in the title.

To round off the evening, the audience were treated to Ray Farr’s take on “Toccata”, featuring a very busy Nathan Cole on xylophone, and with a few bass pedals enhancing the opening.  It definitely left the audience in buoyant mood, with many anticipating sharing worship with the band the following day.

Peter Bale

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