Merry Christmas
from RAF Music.
On Thursday 5 December, the Band of the RAF Regiment raised the festive spirits of personnel stationed on RAF Northolt, by staging a Station Christmas concert.
The Band, under the direction of Principal Director of Music Wing Commander Piers Morrell, performed traditional Christmas works as well as those not so familiar. One highlight was Michael Markowski’s Divine Right of Kings, featuring trumpeters Sergeant Ruth Sidney, Corporal Ben Murray and Senior Aircraftman Ben Edwards. It was the final engagement with the band for Sergeant Sidney before her retirement in February 2020. Another highlight was the Band treating the audience to a brilliant arrangement of The Nightmare Before Christmas; a fantastic original film score by Danny Elfman.
The concert not only showed the fantastic musicianship from the players in the Band, but also left Station personnel with a spring in their step and feeling festive before heading back to an afternoon of work.
Later that week, on 8 December, the Band hosted a second concert; this time for the children of the families stationed at Northolt. The event was organised by Sergeant Jeanette Scott and created a fantastic opportunity for a younger audience to experience live music in a fun and informal setting. The band was dressed in festive jumpers and the audience were encouraged to sing and dance along to the music.
The concert, directed by Flight Lieutenant Tom Rodda, included a selection of seasonal film music, a journey to see the Northern Lights and rounded off with some dancing to a medley of jazzy Christmas classics. The highlight of the afternoon was Rossano Galante’s Aurora Borealis being performed in the dark, which really emphasised the beauty and mystery of the Northern Lights and brought a magical atmosphere to the studio.
The afternoon was a great success which left the audience and the Band in high spirits; a great end to a Christmassy week at RAF Northolt.
Written by Senior Aircraftmn Elliot Milum & Senior Aircraftwoman Emma Taylor.
Photographs taken by Sergeant Tim Hynd & Corporal James Giddings.
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