Camberley and District Silver Band concert 22nd November – report
The Camberley & District Silver Band planned to stage a concert at our church on Saturday Nov 22nd. Despite it being a fund-raising event in support of the band and church, sales of free tickets in advance were disappointing, but come the night a healthier number had assembled in the church. Revd. Sharon Gardner welcomed the band under the baton of conductor Chris Alexander, and the programme commenced with the march The Padstow Lifeboat. After the Countryfile TV programme theme tune, the suite A Devon Fantasy followed featuring the sounds of a village fair and a reverential Sunday morning with strains of church bells played by the euphonium. Next came Song for the Frontline, a piece written to raise funds for key workers during the Covid years, followed by Rey’s Theme from Star Wars – The Force Awakens, and after a rousing rendition of You Can’t Stop The Beat, everyone adjourned to the hall for refreshments provided by the church during the interval.
The second half kicked off with the well-known The Magnificent 7 and next came a solemn piece called Icelandic Hymn. One of the evening’s highlights followed, the suite Partita in four movements by Edward Gregson, often selected as a test piece for lower section bands. The trombones heralded the dramatic theme played by all sections of the band in the first movement and which brought the piece to its ominous conclusion. The final two pieces were probably more familiar to most, the Game of Thrones theme tune and a selection from The Lion King soundtrack. A call for an encore, a reprise of You Can’t Stop The Beat, suggested a successful evening and Revd. Sharon, in thanking the band, hoped that they would return another time.