A SUPER concert of festive music and fun was Chalford Band’s Christmas gift to hundreds of fans.

A packed Stroud Subscription Rooms rocked as the all-age combo of senior, academy, youth and junior ensembles entertained under the leadership of musical director Steve Tubb.

There were 70 players on stage as the combined bands opened with a Darroll Barry arrangement of Angels from the Realms of Glory, then Chris Jones (principal cornet) donned a military hat to sound the charge to start Stop The Cavalry. The ever-popular Christmas Song was followed by the challenging Adventures in Brass.

The junior band, billed as the stars of tomorrow, had their own spot earning a rousing ovation for White Christmas and Jingle Bells. Their conductor and trainer, Bev Godwin, disproves the claim that musical education in schools is on the wane. As a peripatetic teacher of brass, she spots and nurtures young talent with good results.

The junior player of the year award was shared by Nathan Parker and Evie Ravenhill .

Youth and juniors joined for Merry Christmas Everyone. The prizewinning Chalford Youth Band offered Winter Wonderland, a trombone and flugelhorn duet Baby It’s Cold Outside featuring sisters Katie and Libby Vacara and Christmas Swing.

A senior band member of the year award went to Andrew Godwin and cornettist William Jones (13) was named Young Player of the Year.

The senior band opened their impressive part of the programme with a fanfare prelude Into the Sky then gave eight-year-old Leah Benfield a treat by playing Highlights from Frozen specially for her. She collected a gift from the stage as the band performed.

Hannah Godwin (soprano cornet) was the soloist for Little Lord Jesus and the seniors took us to the interval with Carols of the Bells and a lively selection of music from Fred Astaire shows.

For three decades a comedy sketch has been a highlight of Chalford’s Christmas concerts. This time Steve and Amy Tubb, Derrick Witts and Bill Williamson wordlessly and hilariously stepped their way through Prehistorictly Come Dancing outside a Stone Age cave. This was the evolution of dance with a difference.

Props quickly disappeared for the combined bands to round off a cheerful evening with Happy from the film Despicable Me 2 (including some excellent Minions made by parents Jackie Williams and Tina Baker), All I Want for Christmas is You and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Steve was well prepared to meet the loud demand for an encore with his own arrangement of Fairytale of New York.

Ronald Gardiner