'Abide with Me' is a Christian hymn by Scottish Anglican Henry Francis Lyte. It is most often sung to the tune 'Eventide' by William Henry Monk. He was born in London on March 16, 1823. His youth is not well-documented, but it seems that he developed quickly on the keyboard, but perhaps less so in composition.

By aged 18, Monk was organist at St Peter's Church, Eaton Square, London. He left after two years and moved on to two more organist posts in London (St. George's Church, Albemarle Street, and St. Paul's Church, Portman Square). He spent two years in each, with each serving as a steppingstone toward fostering his musical ambitions.

In 1847, Monk became choirmaster at King's College London. There he developed an interest in incorporating plainchant (unaccompanied church music sung in unison) into Anglican services, an idea suggested by William Dyce, a King's College professor with whom Monk had much contact. In 1849, Monk also became organist at King's College.

In 1852, he became organist and choirmaster at St Matthias' Church, Stoke Newington, where he made many changes: plainchant was used in singing psalms, and the music performed was more appropriate to the church calendar. By now, Monk was also arranging hymns, as well as writing his own hymn melodies. In 1857, his talents as composer, arranger, and editor were recognised when he was appointed the musical editor of Hymns Ancient and Modern, a volume first published in 1861, containing 273 hymns. After supplements were added (second edition—1875; later additions or supplements—1889, 1904, and 1916) it became one of the best-selling hymn books ever produced. It was for this publication that Monk supplied his famous "Eventide" tune which is mostly used for the hymn "Abide with Me", as well as several others, including "Gethsemane", "Ascension", and "St. Denys".

In 1874, Monk was appointed professor of vocal studies at King's College; subsequently he accepted similar posts at two other prestigious London music schools: the first at the National Training School for Music in 1876, and the second at Bedford College in 1878. Monk remained active in composition in his later years, writing not only hymn tunes but also anthems and other works. In 1882 Durham University awarded him an honorary Mus. Doc.

He died on March 1, 1889 and was buried on the eastern side of Highgate Cemetery, London.

We are featuring 'Abide with Me' on this show. 

Enjoy

Hello Everyone - Apologies for you not receiving a show last week and this week only being a repeat. Unfortunately my main computer developed a major problem and my efforts to get it to work failed. Consequently I have had to get a new one which I am due to collect early this coming week. Everything should be back to normal for next week.
This has also prevented me from sending out the third podcast in my Bandstand Master Brass Series. That will be posted out to all those who requested it later this next week. If you have not yet sent me your email to receive this new podcast please contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and you will receive it just as you receive this show.

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Chris

The music for Le Reve Passé was composed by Georges Krier and Charles Helmer, and the words were penned by Armand Foucher. It seems likely that it was originally a song written in 1906 in French, and was arranged as a band march later.

It has a military flavour to it; perhaps looking back to the glory days of Napoleon in the hope that the soldiers of the day would be as valiant as those in Napoleon's time.

Ask someone in the street if they know the march Le Reve Passé, and you will probably get a blank expression. Whistle part of the main melody, and anyone of an age will immediately bounce back with 'yes, I know that!' The march was brought to the public's attention by the famous Irish tenor, the late Josef Locke, who probably sang it in every concert hall in Ireland - there's even a clip of him on YouTube singing it in the 1950's film 'What A Carry On!' - https://youtu.be/ErMcwQ2cBaM

Brass Bands have been playing this march on park engagements for decades - enjoy.

Sorry, no new concert today...Normal service will resume on Sunday, September 26, 2021...

Sorry, no new concert today...Normal service will resume on Sunday, September 26, 2021...

Trevor Walmsley DFC was born in Cheshire and followed his father into the Salvation Army playing the cornet. He joined Yorkshire Imperial Band in 1965 and during his time the band had a growing reputation both on the concert stage and the contest platform. The pinnacle of his 11 years at Imps was winning the 1970 and 1971 British Open Championships at Belle Vue. He also conducted the band to a triple success at the Edinburgh Festival Invitation Contest together with regional successes at both regional and national contests.

He left Imps in 1976 to replace Derek Garside as Professional Musical Director at CWS (Manchester) Band and was also a representative for Boosey and Hawkes on the instrumental side. During his career, he was also the resident conductor of both Brighouse and Rastrick and Black Dyke.

He was a quiet man but one who had the knack of skilful man management – for a period of six years the band personnel at Imps remained unchanged – a team that breathed together.

He was awarded the DFC and Bar during the Second World War.  He died in June 1998 aged 76 years.

Issue number 14 of my magazine Brighouse and District Heritage Newseum is now available..

Hamish MacCunn (22 March 1868 – 2 August 1916) was a Scottish late-Romantic composer, conductor, and teacher. His opera Diarmid (libretto by the Marquis of Lome), was produced at Covent Garden on October 23, 1897. His other music includes cantatas. Concert overtures, part-songs, instrumental pieces and songs, all markedly Scottish in type. He had a genuine love of Scottish folksong, and although he lived in London, he was a lifelong champion of Scottish music and of the country's musical life.

He was born in Greenock as James MacCunn, the son of a shipowner, he went to London in 1883 and was educated at the Royal College of Music, where his teachers included Sir Hubert Parry and Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. His first success was with the overture The Land of the Mountain and the Flood on November 5, 1887, at the Crystal Palace, and this remains far and away his best-known piece. It was followed by other compositions, always with a characteristic Scottish colouring. From 1888 to 1894, McCunn was a professor at the Royal College of Music, where he had a long artistic association and friendship with Marmaduke Barton.

In 1888, he married Alison Pettie, daughter of John Pettie, RA, who had painted MacCunn's portrait several times. They had one son. John Pettie was an enthusiastic musician, who helped MacCunn build up his career by organising concerts of his work. It was at this point that Carl Rosa commissioned MacCunn to write an opera on a Scottish subject. The world premiere of his first opera, Jeanie Deans, conducted by the composer, took place at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh on November 15, 1894. He was for some years a conductor with the Carl Rosa Opera Company and subsequently to other companies. A hectic programme of composing, conducting and teaching brought about a gradual deterioration in MacCunn's health, and he died in 1916 aged only 48.

We are featuring his overture Land of the Mountain and the Flood on this show.

Olaf Ritman was born on August 19, 1977, in a true Salvation Army family. Both his parents and grandparents were Salvationists where his father and grandfather were active bandmasters in several corps.

He started playing cornet at the age of 10 and soon after that he started to learn to play the piano. From a young age Olaf developed and interest in composing and conducting. At the age of 22 he took up the baton to become bandmaster in his home corps.

Olaf is the current bandmaster of the Amsterdam Staff Band. He first joined the band in 2000 on solo cornet, and then became deputy bandmaster in 2006. When accepting his position as staff bandmaster in 2009 he joined a distinguished array of musical directors that helped build the Netherland’s fine brass band tradition, including such well-known musicians as Bernard Verkaaik, Fokke Palstra, Cor Nieuwland, Dick Krommenhoek and Howard Evans.

In 2011 he led the ASB in their herald contributions to the International Staff Band’s 120th anniversary celebration. The ASB featured as one of the eight recognized staff bands drawn from around the world.

He has developed into a fine arranger and composer, with a growing number of his works published by the Salvation Army in its’ brass band journals, and as demonstrated by works recorded on several CDs.

In recent years he has been in demand as a guest conductor and teacher, including not only in Europe, but also in the USA at well-known summer camps like Star Lake Musicamp and the Western Music Institute. He also serves at his local SA corps band as both bandmaster and pianist.

Sunday Bandstand has featured Olaf Ritman conducting the Amsterdam Staff Band many times on the show, as well as many of his compositions.