The Spirit of Christmas We start our 2015 Christmas playlist with Kenneth Cook’s 1954 March Medley. This has been a seasonal favourite amongst Salvation Army bands for as long as I can remember – and more! Featuring ‘Good Christian Men Rejoice’, ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ and ‘See Amid the Winter’s Snow’ it will set our feet tapping! It is played here by the Nottingham Memorial Halls Band. Sing A Song of Christmas If our feet are already tapping then Len Ballantine’s song will get our hands clapping as well! This song has been a popular addition to the Christmas repertoire both in the SA and beyond. We featured it with our own songster brigade this year at Lincoln Citadel but this is from the International Staff Songsters album ‘Sing Noel’ Stars are Shining Back to 1941 now and a beautiful collaboration between Catherine Baird and Charles Skinner – 2 very well-known and fondly remembered names in SA music. This carol has retained its popularity and this lovely recording is by the Sunbury Junior Singers under Joy Webb’s leadership. Rhapsody for Cornet and Band A real ‘one man’ effort here – for this is Terry Camsey’s classic cornet solo based on the carol ‘A Christmas Lullaby – by Terry Camsey – and played by the composer himself with the International Staff Band at a festival during the 1978 International Congress. Terry is another much-loved and much-missed Salvationist musician having been Promoted to Glory shortly after attending ISB 120 a couple of years or so ago. Grown Up Christmas List Although not currently an active Salvationist Darren Bartlett is a well-known name to most of us. He has composed many songs that are well-used around the Army world including ‘In The Army’ and ‘Healing Christ’ and he is the leader of Salvacosta, a choir made up of mostly either current or past members of the SA and who reached the final of the BBC Choir of the Year competition in 2014. Darren and I were born just a few days apart and we have attended music schools and worked together now for over 40 years. This lovely song is from a CD he made with the North York Temple Band a few years ago. Sleep, Holy Child Another well-known SA soloist is Sue Blyth and this beautiful song is taken from a CD Sue recorded some years ago now. Sue is currently SL at Peterborough Corps. Cool Yule Another good friend of mine, Martyn Thomas, has recently returned to SA service after a gap of many years, praise God! He has composed many songs band pieces in rock and swing styles, of which this is one. Martyn is from a line of accomplished SA musicians – his late father, Stan, was BM at Southsea Corps and leader of The Joybelles singing group which Martyn’s grandfather held the same position and wrote the march Southsea Citadel. Cool Yule is based on ‘Good King Wenceslas’ God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Here are Salvacosta with an up-beat arrangement of the popular carol in a Latin-American style. I recently heard the group sing this live in a sell-out concert in Branksome where they have helped raise over £35,000 for a local charity over the last 10 years. Long, Long Ago Another carol that has achieved popularity far beyond the limits of The Salvation Army itself is this one, Long Long Ago, by Ray Steadman-Allen – and this version is from a now seldom-remembered LP that Cambridge Heath Band recorded with popular singing due Chas and Dave in 1986. O Heaven-Sent King For centuries now aspiring composers have studied the harmonisations of the great composer Johann Sebastien Bach and few of the master’s chorales can match the sheer beauty of his setting of this old German melody. The words in this arrangement are by Miriam Richards but church choirs will still be more familiar with ‘O Little One Sweet, O Little One Mild’ that uses the same tune. This recording is by The Central Singers – a male voice group who came from Derby Central Corps. The New-Born Babe Bruce Broughton’s chorale-type setting is one of those wonderful arrangements that, when heard, one always asks why it is not played more often! Maybe the fact it was published in the old Festival Series meant that many bands have never had this in their collections – but, surely, in this digital age, SP&S could do something about that? This recording is from the ISB’s ‘Christmas Festival in Brass’ LP from 1974. The Holly and the Ivy For many of us, the International Staff Songsters have never been as fresh and exciting as during their formative years under Norman Bearcroft and this arrangement is typical of their music from that period. This is from their LP Season’s Greetings. Please remember Norman in your prayers as he is recovering from a serious fall just short of his 90th birthday. We Three Kings Here we have a truly Eastern setting of the familiar carol as recorded by The Joystrings. Soon It Will Be Christmas (Ieuan’s Song) Although I have written a new song for Christmas almost every year for the last 30 years few have managed to match the popularity of ‘My Christmas Wish’ – a song that became the title track of my first solo CD and which I still have several requests to perform every year. A couple of years ago I sat down and tried to compose a ‘sequel’ to that song, which focussed on all the ‘trimmings’ of the season with the hope that people would let Jesus back into His own celebration. As I sat, trying to write, my youngest son Ieuan – who was just 8 at the time – kept coming up with suggestions for ‘next lines’, pertinent rhymes etc. – so I gave him a co-writing credit and put his name in the title. This recording is just a rough demo I made until I have the opportunity to record a 2nd Christmas CD (provisionally planned for 2018). No Room Barbara Allen is another talented SA musician I have had the privilege of knowing for many years – going back to her days in Blackpool with the group ‘Close Encounters of the Real Kind’ but, for a long time now, Barbara has been settled in California where she has done much great work with Salvation Army vocal groups. This song is taken from her CD ‘Through It All’ and I pray we all have room for Jesus in our own hearts this Christmas and always! Carol Of The Bells Norman Bearcroft was writing great music long for SA singers long before he formed the ISS in 1979/1980, of course. This perennial favourite, with words by Ivy Mawby, dates from way back in 1965. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear The name William Broughton appears at the top of many SA band arrangements and, of course, Bill is an extremely well-known and accomplished trombone player. This solo arrangement of the tune we know as ‘Willis’ is in his familiar jazzy style and comes from his Christmas Collection ‘Let it Snow’. Bill is now living in Australia and recently conducted the wedding of another famous SA musician Barrie Gott. Go, Tell it on the Mountain More trombones – and, indeed, more Bill Broughton, now – but this time as part of the ensemble known as ‘Spiritual to the Bone’ taking the message of Christmas and telling it on the mountain – over the hills and everywhere! Take the Light of Jesus to the World On the same day I wrote ‘Soon it will be Christmas’ that we heard earlier I was asked to write a carol for Southampton Shirley Singing Company for them to perform in the annual corps carol service which, that year, had the theme ‘Christmas Around the World’ – so I wrote them this simple song with the chorus: “From Sweden to Surinam, from Poland to Pakistan, The light that shone in the sky that night still shines within my heart. And everywhere in the world tonight we can share the joy of that Christmas night – And take the light of Jesus to the world.” You’re Welcome The Joystrings again – and a song to welcome the Saviour to His world. Until I first remastered their back catalogue some years ago at the request of Peter Dalziel for a group reunion I had not really appreciated that almost half the group’s total musical output was made up of Christmas music. Christmas Praise From 1984 this is a newer march than our opener but one that has become as popular as any other seasonal march in recent years. Composed by Australian Salvationist Noel Jones Christmas Praise contains ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’, ‘Hark the Herald’, ‘Normandy Carol’ and ‘The Manger Scene (Away in a Manger)’ – as well as a late nod to ‘O Come all Ye Faithful’. Played for us here by the Regent Hall Band. To conclude the playlist I leave you with the Amsterdam Staff Songsters and the beautiful ‘A Christmas Blessing’ A Christmas Blessing Wishing all listeners a truly blessed Christmas 2015 and an inspiring new year! May we all work together for the extension of God’s Kingdom in the year ahead. God bless you all!
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