Concert

Not to St. George's Bloomsbury this time, but to St. Pancras, which is just opposite St. Pancras station, to hear the BBC Elstree Concert Band.

St. Pancras in Euston Road is an interesting church.   It is named after St. Pancras, the orphaned son of a Phrygian nobleman who was brought up in the court of the Emperor of Rome and was beheaded at the age of 14 for refusing to offer incense in worship of the Emperor Diocletian on 12th May AD304.   A basilica was later erected on the spot on the Aurelian Way where this occurred.

The original church in the parish is reputed to have been built just ten years after Pancras's death, on the site of a Roman encampment overlooking the Fleet River.   It was rebuilt in medieval times, and then again in 1848, and still stands in the old churchyard in Pancras Road, behind the station.

But by the end of the 18th century, it was beginning to be very run-down (hence the rebuilding in 1848) and the folk in the big new houses in Bloomsbury naturally wanted somewhere better to worship that the rather tatty church in Pancras Road.    So they petitioned for a new church, and after much opposition - the Vestry was very unwilling  to spend money on a new church when the existing one, due to ancient endowments, cost them nothing - permission was granted, and over thirty architects submitted proposals for the design.   The contract was awarded in 1819 to local architect William Inwood and his son Henry for a Greek-revival design, and the new church was consecrated by the Bishop of London, William Howley, on 7th. May 1822.

One of the first things that strikes you on entered the church is the semi-circular apse, surmounted by what look like six huge marble columns, but are in fact fake.   The second thing that strikes you is the lighting, which consists of  groups of seven large round lights suspended from the ceiling.   The third thing which attracts your eye is the statue of the Crucifixion of Christ the King, which was carved by sculpter Fenwick Lawson for the University Chapliancy.   The cross is made of sycamore and the figure of Christ of laburnam, and it aims to express visually Christ's Kingship in relation of the suffering of the cross, and is a sign of his triumph over evil, which thus offer us hope and assurance.   The fourth thing you notice is that all the pews are boxed.

The concert was entitled "Into the Light" and was conducted by Andrew Morley, with the witty Keith Clement announcing each piece.

From small beginnings in 1986, the orchestra has grown considerably,with over forty musicians taking part in the concert this evening.   Most were youngish, with just a sprinkling of older members.

The Band has played in a wide range of venues, both here and abroad, and have been broadcast nationally and globally through the BBC World Service.   They have also provided music for a major BBC1 documentary and made several recordings, the most recent being for a Radio 3 programme.   They also give regular concerts to raise money for the Voice of the Listener Trust, the North London Hospice and several other charities, so they are well-worth supporting.

The pieces chosen were varied: selections from Les Miserables and Cabaret, Diamonds are Forever from soloist and sax player Sam Duffy, oboe solo of Gabriel's Oboe, excerpts from A Chrous Line and The two Imps to name just a few.  

I had a seat very near the front; originally I was near the end of the pew, with a slightly restricted view.   However the couple next to the aisle wanted to move so that they could see their friend who was playing, and asked to swap seats.   So I had ended up with a perfect view directly in front of the orchestra.  

The music was stirring; loud, but not too loud, and played with a great deal of enthusiasm.   The pieces were so varied one could not possibly be bored with them; each piece, introduced so ably by Keith Clement. provided something different to the one before.

During the interval, I had the chance to have a good look around the church; unlike most London churches, it is served by two women, the Rev. Anne Stevens and the Rev.Jenny Welsh, and it seems quite an active and lively parish if the notices and leaflets lying around are anything to go by.  

The Band's next concert in London is on Sunday 29th.June, when they are taking part in the Proms at St. Jude's in Hampstead Garden Suburb - a bit of a way to go, but worth it to hear them again.