Sheffield Citadel Band to feature in festive radio show

Nothing makes you feel more festive than the sound of The Salvation Army band which you will be able to hear on BBC Radio Sheffield this Christmas.

Sheffield Citadel Band will feature on December 23 and Christmas Eve with musicians from across South Yorkshire, including a barbershop group called Hallmark of Harmony.

Listeners will get to hear some classic Christmas carols and interviews with the musicians about what Christmas means to them in a Jools Holland style programme which showcases the best musical talent from across the region.

Sheffield Citadel Bandmaster Keith Wileman said: “Everyone has heard of a win/win  situation but this allows us to have a win/win/win. One, we enjoy making music and playing carols, two, the people who hear us are very happy to hear our message and three, generous donations given are then used to make many people in our city happy.

“We hear lots of nice comments as we play music in the city centre, one of the most common is ‘We know it’s Christmas now we've heard the Sally Army’.

“It’s going to be great to have a prominent part in celebrating Christmas with BBC Radio Sheffield this year.”

Sheffield Citadel Band, which is based at Sheffield Citadel Salvation Army on Psalter Lane, has been out and about throughout November and December filling the streets of Sheffield with the sound of Christmas carols.

Josh Chapman, who plays euphonium, said: “We were really excited to take part in this with some fantastic musicians showcasing the breadth of South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire’s musical talent.

“It’s always a joy to be out playing, more so at Christmas when you can see how people light up when they hear the band. There is such an association with The Salvation Army at Christmas time and the feedback we get is always lovely.”

Sheffield Citadel Band was founded in 1881. Today, under the leadership of Bandmaster Keith, the band is also the focus of the corps’ outreach ministry, regularly taking the Gospel of Jesus into the surrounding community.

This year they supported the Sheffield NHS Voices Choir - a choir comprised of NHS workers from across the city, played in the Lord Mayor’s Charity Concert, which was headlined by ‘Is This The Way To Amarillo’ singer Tony Christie, and held an open practice bringing more than 60 musicians together. 

The Christmas programme will be broadcast on BBC Radio Sheffield on Friday 23 December at 1pm and 10pm and then again on Christmas Eve at 5pm. It will also be available on the BBC Sounds app.