Music Programme -The Cheque! - The Band - Pictures
Crystal Palace Band raises nearly £1,700
for St Christopher's Hospice in Gala Concert
Music Programme -The Cheque! - The Band - Pictures
What an amazing night it was! No-one could have anticipated what a huge success the concert would be. By about 6.30pm the audience at St Bartholomew’s Church, Sydenham, was half full - and then with ten minutes to go before the start of the concert we realised we were going to run out of chairs! Backstage, members of the band put down their instruments and joined the vicar in moving pews and searching for more chairs. And then the concert began. From the opening bars of Aida it was clear that this was going to be an electrifying performance. Offstage 'trumpeters' Laura Gregory and Elspeth Hackett welcomed in the audience latecomers - who were forced to sit in the front pews and risk being deafened! The quiz based on Quilter's 'Children's Overture' went smoothly (one girl handed her answer sheet in before the concert began, stating that she didn't need to hear the music as she knew there were 75 tunes in total - the answer was ten!), and then our three buglers, James Gordon, Roger Bleach and Maggie Stallybrass played superbly as ever in 'Bugler's Holiday'. Next up were the children from St Anthony's RC Primary School who, under the direction of their teacher (and our trombonist) Lucy Rice, sang their pieces loudly and clearly. After Harry Potter it was time for the band's tribute to Nina Simone, with flugel horn player Sarah Smith growling on the low notes of 'Feeling Good'. After 'Hodie', a selection of Christmas favourites, it was time to have a break - and try to fight through the crowds of people queuing for a cup of tea! Unbeknown to us the kitchen was being refurbished - but Jean, Janet and Brenda, our team of refreshment helpers, took it in their stride. Jugs of water were ferried around, mince pies passed from plate to plate, and the interval went smoothly. The second half began with the Florentiner March, and then our first guest soloist, Caroline Lovett (wife of our Bb bass player, Richard), excelled herself in an arrangement of Corelli's oboe concerto. Following this was the raffle - and a chance to win one of eight prizes, including a luxury hamper, which included wine, chocolates and party poppers. Each member of the band had donated a prize or an item for the hamper, which meant that every penny of the £178 taken from the raffle went to charity. Over 750 tickets were folded by Claire, Jill and Ross, our raffle organisers, so thank you! During the presentations, chairman Roger Clements took the opportunity to say a few thank yous, as did Rosemary Fairhurst, who was representing St Christopher's Hospice. And then it was back on with the music, with the winner of the children's quiz conducting the band through Sleigh Ride, with extra percussion from the runners-up. Our second guest soloist, Emma Gray, joined us for the next item, Gershwin's Someone to Watch Over Me, and then stayed for Handel's Rejoice Greatly, which saw Caroline Lovett join the band on oboe again. The finale of the evening was a new arrangement of festive singalongs from the band, entitled ‘A Christmas Holiday Festival’. It was led by Emma Gray and Lauren Staddon and accompanied by the children from St Anthony's, and principal cornet James Gordon on Eb trumpet. It was a fantastic end to a hugely successful evening. Everyone in Crystal Palace Band would like to thank all those who helped in any way with the concert – conductor Mike Gray, the raffle ticket sellers, those on the door, those who hunted down extra chairs, the children from St Anthony’s – and especially the vicar of St Bartholomew’s church, Mike Kingston, and the congregation, for all their help and support in organising the concert, and in particular for waiving the hire fee. And a big thanks to everyone who came along and supported us – and sorry to those of you who had to sit in the aisles! Well done, everyone – and here’s to next year! |
