Reviewed by Trevor Kirk This is definitely a treat for fans of Salvation Army music, featuring as it does the highlights of the Gospel Arts concert held at the Royal Albert Hall on June 3, 2006 in a double CD and DVD Dual Disc. This concert has for many years been one of the 'must-visit' events in the Salvationist music calendar, and the 2006 event certainly featured the cream of the crop: the International Staff Band, the Montclair Citadel Band from New Jersey, USA, the International Staff Songsters, various vocal and instrumental soloists, and even a dance presentation. The two bands are on top form, the Songsters likewise, with a guest appearance at the end by their founder conductor Norman Bearcroft, but I was somewhat underwhelmed by the contribution of Darren Bartlett, especially when he performed a piece from 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. Much has been written about Rice and Lloyd Webber's musical since its composition at the end of the 1960s, and I don't intend to add my two pennyworth here. Suffice it to say that Darren's style is very West End, and for me it didn't sit comfortably with the more traditional style of the rest of the show. I feel that this works better as an audio-visual rather than a purely aural experience, particularly the opening sequence, where the Montclair Citadel band members process into the arena behind the Salvationist and the American flag, to the strains of the International Staff Band playing Sousa's classic march "Stars and Stripes Forever". Watch and enjoy.
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