News feature 12 and

Territorial Youth Choir

The theme of the week was Build My Life, inspired by the song of the same name, which we sang. The song speaks about putting our trust in God alone, who is a firm foundation. Each day we considered different ways we can build our lives for Jesus and for others. There were interviews with staff members about how they built their lives on God and what they wanted to pray for. These questions were then asked in our cell groups, which challenged me to include God and my faith in different aspects of my life, making sure the impact of TYC will last beyond just the week.

This year we picked additional workshops including multimedia, art, conducting/ leadership, dance and discussion. These were other ways to express our faith and worship, adding another unique element to the week. I took part in the dance stream and learnt two dances to songs, one hip-hop and the other lyrical, one of which we were able to perform in the final concert. I enjoyed learning two contrasting styles and expressing worship through dance.

The evenings were filled with fun activities, games and a silent disco with the TYB students. The first night we had ice-breakers in our cell groups, when we were given challenges to complete – and my group won! During the open mic I was able to perform my audition song, which I really enjoyed. The last night we held worship in the round, providing another opportunity for us to share, pray and encourage one another; it was a very special evening.

TYC being held virtually last year made us appreciate attending in person even more this year. Thank you to all the staff members for making it an amazing week.

A joyous evening of praise

THE LIFE CENTRE, BOURNEMOUTH

THE 2022 Youth Makes Music festival was the culmination of a week of pulling together to worship and celebrate through music, reports Johnny Laird (Croydon Citadel). Just hours before the festival, Storm Eunice hit the UK and Ireland, and with Covid-19 still rife and a new venue to contend with, there was much to challenge the preparations.

Under new TYC leader Karl Westwood the group’s start to the programme was measured, unhurried and almost meditative. They displayed a warm, delicate sound in Mark Hayes’s ‘Children of the Light’, with excellent discipline and musicality in handling the dynamic contrast.

Maintaining that atmosphere, TYB presented ‘Prelude on Ascalon’ by Geoffrey Nobes. This year’s band was perhaps younger than usual, yet under the leadership of Director of Music and Creative Arts Stephen Cobb they interpreted the piece with maturity.

After a prayer by Territorial Youth and Children’s Secretary Major Helen Schofield, Stephen compèred the programme. He explained that ‘Groove Hosanna!’ was representative of the steady flow of music reaching the Music Editorial Department from Africa. TYB brought real sparkle to this contemporary arrangement of Salvation Army melodies.

The music leaders chose to continue that blend of traditional and contemporary, with TYC giving us hits of gospel, worship songs and much-loved Salvation Army classics, while TYB’s music allowed the band to be challenged and the listeners to be inspired.

Two soon-to-be-published songs were presented by TYC: ‘Trusting Jesus, That Is All’ by Andrew Wicker and ‘How Can I Keep from Singing?’. The group’s dynamic contrast was perhaps most effectively demonstrated when the singers rose with a crescendo into the familiar refrain of ‘Amazing love! How can it be…?’ in the second of these songs. It was a truly moving moment.

One of TYB’s major works was ‘Romans 8’ – a challenging piece by Ray Steadman-Allen. The players’ interpretation was sensitive when the music demanded, occasionally robust when required and effective in presenting the message within it. Special mention should be made of some lyrical high register euphonium playing and the light touch of the trombone section.

The first half finished on a glorious high with ‘La Fe Es La Victoria’, which brought some Latin flavour to the proceedings.

Further contrast came from Andreas Holmund’s ‘What a Wonderful Day’, with its big band stylings, and Daniel Galbraith’s arrangement of ‘Hosanna’ by Kirk Franklin, including movement from the TYC singers with real freedom of expression.

Kevin Norbury’s arrangement of Alexander Borodin’s ‘Excerpts from the Polovtsian Dances from “Prince Igor”’ was a tour de force by TYB, and from this classical transcription we arrived with the TYC at ‘I Need Thee’ by Alastair Taylor. The singers navigated this harmonically sophisticated song with ease, as did the band with Paul Sharman’s ‘To the Hills’.

The band’s closing piece, ‘To the Chief Musician’ by William Himes, was a powerful and appropriate reminder of why Salvationist musicians do what they do.

Staff and students are to be commended for overcoming the many challenges to give us a wonderful evening of music filled with praise.