Chatham Citadel Band and Songsters recently hosted an evening to celebrate the contribution made by Lt. Col. Ray Steadman-Allen to Salvation Army music following his admission to the Order of the Founder in 2005.The evening featured a selection of his work which, as we learned during an interview with Major Malcolm Westwood, would fill more than 60 CDs were all his compositions to be recorded! A near capacity crowd came to enjoy the music and to thank God for his ministry, together with his wife, Joy.The Songsters (Adrian Horwood) performed “Whosoever will”, “O lovely Name” and “Childhood Suite” and “RSA” conducted them in “This age of Rockets”. The Band (Carl Woodman) presented “Hadleigh Camp”, “Daystar” and “High Council”. The Band also accompanied Richard Phillips (Kettering) in a spectacular rendition of the Fantasia for Piano and Band “Christ is the Answer”. Kevin Ashman (Cornet -Maidstone) presented two solos “Rhapsody on Spirituals” and “Sing Hosanna” and Adrian Horwood performed the euphonium solo “The Conqueror”.

The Steadman-Allen family also took part in the event. Lt. Col. Joy Steadman-Allen brought the Bible message from Romans Chapter 8 and daughters Barbara and Rosemary sang the duet “Trust, Hope and Love” accompanied by their father at the piano. The congregation contributed to the final item of the evening, the singing of “The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended”.