The Final Farewell

As I arrived at St. Paul’s Church in Chichester at around 6.00pm on Saturday evening it looked so quiet, shady but most of all peaceful.  There was no traffic at that moment and no people to be seen. 

When I left four hours later those perceptions were a mile away!

What a beautiful evening had evolved; so much laughter, many tears, much catching up (and gossiping on the catching up) and some cracking music and playing.

Although Band uniform was the order of the day the Boys wore appropriate (bad taste) ties, socks and braces and the Girlies – well there were some awesome shoes to die for!  Every colour and style (but not peeped toes) imaginable!

This scaba Brass Band, as it was named, was a ‘scratch’ band but I can assure you there would be many bands around the country that would give anything for the sound that that band made after only one rehearsal some ten days earlier! Mr David Hirst was the lovely Musical Director for this special occasion.

The band was made up of 42 players representing 21 different bands.  All of the players had worked with John over the years.  Thirteen of them had been part of the winning Chichester Band when it qualified for the first section National finals back in 2002.

The programme of music played had poignant memories for family, players, and audience alike.  The concert opened with Fanfare & Flourishes, used by John so many times to open a concert.  Symphony of the Seas, one of Mary’s specific requests – he was a Marine after all!  There was then a beautiful solo played by Martin Buss, Buster Strikes Back from the pen of Alan Morrison.  Alan was the adjudicator for the scaba Spring Contest back in April a couple of weeks after John had lost his battle.  Alan dedicated this piece to his nephew who at that time was also fighting serious illness.  

John loved his swing and Chichester used to do a ‘big band’ set so Mack the Knife had to be there too.  Really mixed emotions through that piece, big broad smiles on some faces but tissues out discretely sorting the stray tears from others.  This was followed by Amazing Grace and those that thought the tissue moment had gone were back in force.  It was so movingly played and just hung in the church afterwards.

Time to change the tempo and move on to jollier things.  Step into the limelight Alex Stevens with baritone in hand.  Alex had always played solos on horn under John’s direction.  The only baritone solo he had selected for her she found ‘too maudlin’!!  So it was player’s choice here and Alex chose Bluejohn preferring the reference to Derbyshire and John’s origins.  ‘The lass done real good’ and how proud John would have been.  He might even have had a tear.

Then you have to appropriately bring the first half to a close.  It wasn’t hard apparently.  What piece seemed to be everyone’s ‘had to have’ piece.  What piece featured the most in John’s old programmes and what piece would make sure everyone was awake to go for a glass of wine in the interval?  Zulu – The Battle of Rorke’s Drift.  It certainly ticked all the boxes.

The second half opened with Past Time with Good Company and was followed by Sing, Sing, Sing.  We then moved on to our last solo of the evening ‘A Time for Peace’ which is taken from the larger work by Peter Graham entitled The Essence of Time.  Each section depicts a time in our lives and this section is a time for quiet reflection and that was precisely what Alfie Hughes achieved on cornet.

The music continued with In Memoriam from Royal Parks, a very widely used test piece from the pen of George Lloyd and was the piece that Chichester qualified for the first section National finals.  The piece is written in three contrasting movements and this movement is a tribute to the bandsmen murdered by the IRA in Regents Park, London in July 1992.

By now the tissues are in full view but the beautiful smiles still abound as we listen to I’ll Walk with God followed by Penlan which should really be renamed ‘John’s hymn’.  This performance was the premiere of a new arrangement dedicated to John from the pen of Simon Kerwin.

How do you round off the evening that is a thanksgiving for the life of someone so, so special?  With You’ll Never Walk Alone.  Just so appropriate.  ….. and the tissues?  Don’t ask!

Mary had written a letter of thanks that was read out that was very touching and moving thanking everyone.

There had to be an encore and it was Can-Can not quite dancing in the aisles, we were in church, but the tissues disappeared and the smiles became even broader and the music had given way to laughter.

God bless, you wonderful, caring, loving man.  You will be sorely missed but all Our lives are enriched by having shared yours.  Xx

 

Everyone on leaving was asked to dig deep into their pockets for St. Wilfrid’s Hospice who looked after Mary & John during their dark days.  The magnificent sum of £750 was raised.  Huge, huge thanks go to everyone.

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