Going to the Army us a Podcast of Salvation Army music that began in July 2013 and has, since then, reached people all over the world! This is a special selection of music old and new to celebrate Christmas 2013.
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Christmas Joy - Erik Leidzen's march is a perennial favourite and is, surely, played several times each Christmas by almost every SA Band. Featuring Joy to the World, Jingle Bells and Love and Joy Come To You I doubt many bandsmen need to even look at the notes! This recording is from 1986 and was recorded by Southport Citadel Band
Noel - Joy Webb wrote this song in the 1960s and it has retained its popularity ever since in the Singing Company repertoire. This was only released as a single (45RPM) and was not on any of the Sunbury Junior Singers LPs.
The Infant King - Based on an old Basque Noel and originally harmonised by Cesar Franck this beautiful carol is often featured, as it is here, a capella (unaccompanied) and sung by the ISS
The Joy Of Christmas - Robert Redhead's suite was popular for many years after its publication in the early 1970s but, in recent years, just the middle section (a glorious arrangement of O Little Town of Bethlehem) seems to be played anything like regularly. Sandwiching that arrangement we hear the lesser known 'Seven Joys Of Mary' and 'Past Three O'Clock'
Welcome to the World - This is from the Musical/Song Cycle 'Gethsemane' which I wrote with Fr Martin Morgan and Juno Hollyhock for The Church of the Ascension in Portsmouth. Recorded for my Christmas CD "My Christmas Wish" I share the vocals with my sister Ruth Bell, formerly of the ISS. The whole CD is available on a 'PAY WHAT YOU LIKE' Digital Download this December. Make your donation via PayPal to marc@harrymusic.co.uk and you will receive a link to download the tracks as mp3 or full quality FLAC files.
Comfort and Joy - My good friend Dr Martyn Thomas wrote this piece for Portsmouth Citadel Band while we were both members in the early 1990s. Based on God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen this crowd-pleasing item calls for some virtuoso cornet and euphonium playing!
Ding Dong/Stars are Shining - My father, Major Ken Harry, collected the SA 78s all his life and always wanted to have them on cassette or CD but it was only after he was Promoted To Glory that computer technology developed to make this properly possible - especially as I soon learned how to remove so much of the crackle and hiss that made the original discs so hard to listen to! I first transferred all the SA 78s to CD some years ago and have now done many of them more than once. This recording was made by The London Girl Singers in the mid 1950s.
The Little King Jesus - The Joystrings led the way for Christian Contemporary Music in the 1960s with their singles even appearing in the mainstream pop charts. Although both the groups' LPs had a Christmas theme several other Christmas songs only appeared on singles. This song, however, features on the LP 'Well Seasoned'.
A Carol Fantasy - Eric Ball's piece was published in 1966 and it is pleasing to hear so many of the master composer's exquisite touches in this much under-valued work, recorded here by the ISB on the 1974 collection "The Christmas Festival in Brass"
The Holly and the Ivy - Another lovely Joy Webb arrangement for the Sunbury Junior Singers of the traditional carol.
Glory to God in the Highest - I met Col. Bram Thornett many times in my younger life, usually associated with his concertina, of course! Then - when my parents moved to Felixstowe to be the Corps Officers there - Bram was a retired officer soldiering at the corps. It soon became my privilege to be Bram's piano accompanist when he played concertina solos at various corps, over 60s clubs and rallies. One of Bram's sons is a regular listener to the Podcast and I'm glad to include something VERY traditionally 'Old Army' in this Playlist.
Praise Ye The Lord - While in a 'historic' mode 'Praise Ye the Lord' is the Army's version of the popular 'Hail, Smiling Morn' - a tune always looked forward to in carolling sessions (the triplet quavers warm the fingers up!) and sung here by the ISS once again.
Nev's Carol Medley - From the old to the newer! Neville Raine originates from Sunderland in the North East but has lived for many years in Leeds. I have worked with many guitarists over the past 30 years but none better than Nev, who I had the privilege of playing and singing alongside in Rock Group 'The Big Picture'. This Carol Medley was, I believe, assembled for a Corps Carol Service at Morley Corps and I found it recently in my collection and deemed it a 'must share'!
O Little Town - What we in the UK call 'the American version' of this famous carol is still heard less often here than the more familiar 'Forest Green' tune. This beautiful arrangement by Col Norman Bearcroft comes from the long-forgotten ISS LP 'Christmas Greetings' that I only recently transferred to my computer and is well-worth a listen!
Good Christian Men Rejoice - Quite possibly the strangest Salvation Army related recording I can think of was the collaboration between the popular Cockney duo 'Chas & Dave' with the Cambridge Heath Band back in 1986. Released on the secular Telstar label this recording was advertised widely on TV at the time and both album and a single got into the charts! Chas & Dave may not be every Salvationist's 'cup of rosie lea' but I was reminded of this album just this week when the duo headlined the 'Royal Variety Show 2013'.
While Shepherds Watched - It was a pleasure to work with Norwich Citadel Band and massed singers from the Norfolk area on a recording 'Joy To The World' a few years ago, providing arrangements for the singers, keyboard additions to various pieces and incidental music for Christmas bible readings. The CD was the first release that could be purchased with or without the singing and reading - so any other corps without a band would be able to host a full carol service using the 'accompaniment' version of the disc. This was my arrangement of the popular carol.
The Festive Season - Morley Calvert's Christmas suite has been enjoyed for many years by Army audiences and it is now a popular item on contesting bands' Christmas programmes as well. I'm sure many former Army bandsmen have memories of their Army service re-awakened when they play such pieces. I pray their love for Jesus is also rekindled at such times...and I'm sure it often is...
Christmas Can Be Every Day - The second offering from The Joystrings here - and a song that has managed to retain some popularity over the years. Christmas can be every day if we have the love of Jesus in our hearts.
A Starry Night - Aptly following The Joystrings we hear Joy Webb's 'A Starry Night'. This song is one of the Army's most successful 'exports' in recent years and is sung by children in schools all over the world every Christmas. I remember playing it at a football stadium a couple of years ago at a 'Faith in Football' carol service and, as the band played, a whole grandstand full of children spontaneously joined in and sang! What a great experience that was!
Star Of Bethlehem - Salvacosta are a vocal ensemble who need little introduction to Salvationists in the UK. Their new CD for Christmas 2013 is called 'The Christmas Collection' and I am delighted that Darren Bartlett has asked me to include a song from this brand new recording here. The group (which, incidentally, also features my sister Ruth and my son Lewis) have a new album out at the moment that is successfully raising money for the BBC Children in Need appeal and I would encourage you all to add this excellent collection of Christmas Music to your collections by clicking here to see how to purchase it!
The Carollers - Finishing off this Christmas selection of music is another of the great SA Christmas marches - 1953's 'The Carollers' by Richard Holz featured Good King Wenceslas, The Holly and the Ivy and God Rest ye Merry, Gentlemen.
The vast majority of the recordings used here are, as always on "Going to the Army!" unavailable to purchase - mostly being long 'out of print'. However, almost all new Salvation Army recordings are available from World Of Brass and/or SP&S.
PLEASE support music-making in the SA today by visiting one of these sites.
A VERY Happy Christmas to all listeners. God Bless You all.
Marc
