THE TRUMPET SHALL SOUND

ANOTHER WONDERFUL CONCERT

The July concert featured Charles with Chris Andrews on the trumpet in a wonderful presentation entitled The Trumpet Shall Sound – which indeed it did.

Charles introduced the event by promising a very varied programme which in fact began with early-English church-inspired music (Henry Purcell, William Boyce), took us through the continental pleasures of Josef Haydn, Handel and Tchaikovsky, over to the USA (George Gershwin, Scott Joplin), and down to Mexico and lastly to Rio de Janeiro – with a few other calls on the way round.

Many of the pieces were familiar to the audience and this enabled us better to appreciate the skills exhibited by our artists – complex finger-work and masterly breath control from Chris, a variety of keyboard techniques and delicacy of touch from Charles. We heard “one of the most beautiful melodies ever composed for trumpet” (by Haydn) and a work by Leroy Anderson which, Chris told us, had led to 20 takes from a skilled trumpeter without him being able to master or dominate it. One suspects after such attempts, he was tempted to perform Gershwin’s “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” which Chris also gave us! All in all, a master concert, given by two true professionals and enlivened by one or two lovely jokes from Brian Johnston and others.

Our catering ladies had earlier provided tasty lunch to the audience and the proceeds went to the Organ Fund. The thanks of everyone present go to all who helped with a most pleasing occasion.