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A full house at Birmingham Citadel enjoyed a high spirited musical Global tour during the Annual Proms Night.  National flags, costumes and multimedia added a spectacular backcloth to the band music which included incredible jungle sounds from the bandsmen in excerpts from ‘The Lion King’ representing Africa.  Gavin Lamplough (cornet) and David Taylor (euphonium) also featured pyrotechnic solos with an international flavour.  Guest soloist Sue Blyth (Gainsborough) added her own charisma with such songs as “His eye is on the Sparrow.” and “I Dreamed a Dream.”   The first half ended with a specially commissioned piece written by Birmingham Citadel Band’s principal cornet Gavin Lamplough called “Around the World in Eight Minutes”.  The brief was to “visit” as many countries as possible in eight minutes of music and so, with the help of members of Birmingham Citadel in National Dress, we were taken to ten countries in all including Mexico, France, Greece, Holland and the USA.  A fitting visual spectacular to end the first half. 

 

The second half had all the traditional ingredients associated with the Proms including a convincing portrayal of Britannia by our soloist in full regalia including a rather precariously perched golden helmet. The many non Salvationists in the audience joined in with enthusiastic flag waving.

 

Divisional Commander Major Samuel Edgar was the genial compere.

 

 
Words: Fred Crowhurst
Photographs: Robert Stokes and Pam Daff

 

 
Programme

Festival March - The Canadian (Major J. Merritt)

Melodies of Dvorak (arranged Ray Steadman-Allen)

Cornet Solo - Napoli (Herman Bellstedt)

Soloist: Gavin Lamplough

Vocal Solos - Sue Blyth

Riverdance (Bill Whelan; arr. Ray Farr)

Euphonium Solo - Brilliante (Peter Graham)

Soloist: David Taylor

Pause for Thought

The Circle of Life (arr. Philip Harper)

Around the World in Eight Minutes (Gavin Lamplough)

 

Crown Imperial (William Walton)

Fantasia on British Sea Songs (Henry Wood)

Vocal Solos - Sue Blyth

Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1 (Edward Elgar)

Rule Britannia (Thomas Arne)

Soloist: Sue Blyth

Jerusalem (C. Hubert Parry)

National Anthem

March - Under Two Flags

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