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Musicals
The Household Troops Band of the Salvation Army/Carl Saunders
rec. Church of Christ the Cornerstone, Milton Keynes, January 2016
SP&S SPS398CD [66:27]
 
The Household Troops Band is the premier marching band of the Salvation Army. It is led here by Bandmaster Carl Saunders, who has been at the helm since 2010. They're well-known for their lively and adventurous concerts, spirited marching demonstrations and distinctive white pith helmets.

This disc - SP&S is a division of the Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd - is their latest release, presenting a varied collection: seven individual songs and six medleys, all selected and arranged from the world of musical theatre. Details of the individual tracks are listed at the end of this review.

There are many fine songs and performances here. Some of my favourites are the arrangements for the medleys: Aspects of Andrew Lloyd Webber, in particular, is an interesting mix of songs; the slower ballads are followed by the faster melodies. The insertion of Variation No.1 as a brass march works brilliantly. Hosea and Selection from Spirit are each filled with seldom-heard tunes, and the band performs them with the right balance of serenity and exuberance, alternating leads between the cornets and horns. Vocalist, James Morley has a strong tenor voice and sings Bring Me Home with feeling and impact, beautifully capturing the prayer's intent. The light and breezy song When I Grow Up sounds full and rich when played by a 32 piece brass band, particularly with a bass solo.

This album was recorded by World of Sound with engineer Daniel Lock and Melissa Dee as the producer. A 12-page booklet comes with the disc, with band notes and a personnel list. The booklet also includes the lyrics for the songs, but not all of the song titles.

Bruce McCollum



Track-List
1. Jesus Christ Superstar - Title song from the 1970 rock opera
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Tim Rice
2 Aspects of Andrew Lloyd Webber -
A medley of 5 well-known Lloyd Webber tunes; Love Changes Everything and Hand Me The Wine And The Dice, from the musical Aspects of Love, Think Of Me and Music Of The Night, from Phantom Of The Opera, and Variations No.1, on a Theme from Paganini.
3 Selections From Godspell- Three from the 1971 musical Godspell, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Prepare Ye The Way Of the Lord, All Good Gifts, and Day By Day.
4 All I Ask Of You - From 1986 musical Phantom Of The Opera
Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart
5 Breezin' Down Broadway - Six of the best from Broadway: There's No Business like Show Business by Irving Berlin, Another Opening, Another Show by Cole Porter, Get Me To The Church On Time by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, Oklahoma! By Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, That's Entertainment by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz, and Seventy-Six Trombones by Meredith Wilson.
6 Bring Him Home - From the 1980 musical Les Miserables
Written by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil
7 Symphonic Highlights from Frozen - A medley of four tunes composed by Kristen Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez for the 2013 musical Frozen; Frozen Heart, Let It Go, Do You Want To Build A Snowman, and For The First Time In Forever.
8 Any Dream Will Do - Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
From the 1968 musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
9 Hosea - First performed in 1969, Hosea is the second of ten musicals written by Salvation Army officers John Gowans and John Larsson. The six medley selections are: You've Got To Conform To Belong, Down The Street, I Came To Him, a short passage from a mini musical within the musical, I Nearly Forgot To Say Thank You, and Only People.
10 Love Changes Everything - From the 1989 musical Aspects of Love
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart
11 What Does The Spirit Say? - From the 1973 musical Spirit
Music and lyrics by John Gowans and John Larsson
12 When I Grow Up - From the 2010 musical Matilda
Music and lyrics by Tim Minchin
13 Selection From Spirit - This is the fourth musical written by John Gowans and John Larsson and was first performed in 1973. Five medley selections from this musical are: Ask, Seek, Knock, followed by To Be Like Jesus, Love Cannot Fail, and Burning, Burning, and closing with What Does the Spirit Say To The Churches.

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