A cohort of the All Saints’ congregation enjoyed a fabulous Whitby Brass Band outdoor concert at the Whitby waterfront on July 21st. The Band put together its usual high quality repertoire with many familiar hits and challenging new arrangements of classic pieces, and All Saints’ got a special shout-out in honour of the church’s 150th anniversary. (Note that the Band itself only just celebrated its own sesquicentennial.)
The commentary for the evening included highlights of All Saints’ history in the community, including its first Sunday service in November 1866, the role of the steeple in firefighting in Whitby, its stunning rebuilds after, not one, but two fires, and its foodbank and outreach ministry in the downtown neighbourhood.
The band saluted us specifically with a wonderful rendition of the hymn For All the Saints and a prayerful arrangement of Crimond (The Lord’s My Shepherd). The All Saints’ crowd could be heard quietly humming along to both. (Although, the Tom Jones medley also seemed to inspire the same audience participation!)
Many thanks to Whitby Brass Band for helping us celebrate our anniversary year. The Band performs again at the Heydenshore Pavilion at the waterfront on August 4th. It’s a great concert on any occasion.