Tag Archives: anniversary

Staunton Centennial

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On the weekend of 18 – 19 February 2012, the National Capital Band (Bandmaster Dr. Steve Kellner) journeyed to the Shenandoah Valley city of Staunton, Virginia to participate in the celebration of 100 years of Salvation Army service there. The trip included a youth music workshop on Saturday afternoon, a music festival on Saturday evening, worship at the corps on Sunday morning and a Soldiers Rally and Birthday Celebration on Sunday afternoon. The band was delighted to be invited to participate in this event by the corps officers, Majors Sam and Mary Kay Hearne.

Saturday, 18 February 2012

The first event of the weekend was a youth music clinic with students from the Salvation Army music program in the Valley. This program has been given a regional emphasis with the employment of Jason Collier as regional music director for the Valley in the fall of 2011, and this was the first opportunity for the students to showcase their skills for a visiting group. About twenty young people from the Staunton and Harrisonburg Corps participated in the workshops.

The workshop began with a group session, with Bandmaster Kellner leading everyone in a “Breathing and Buzzing” session. The group then broke into groups by instrument, with members of the NCB providing instruction and guidance to the students. After the individual sessions, the group reassembled in the corps gymnasium, where there was a short concert, featuring the Harrisonburg Junior Band playing Abide with Me (arr. Robert Redhead) and the Staunton Singing Company presenting Lord, You’re Beautiful, both under the direction of Jason Collier. Items by the NCB included two classics by James Anderson, Goldcrest and Jesus Loves Me. The highlight of the afternoon was William Himes’ Classics in Brass, with the students accompanied by the NCB.

The band then packed up and moved a short distance to Memorial Baptist Church, the venue for the evening concert. The members of the church, lead by Pastor Temple Myers, were extremely gracious and accommodating to the band, including disassembling a part of the platform in the sanctuary in order to allow the band enough room. They also provided a wonderful meal to the band before the concert. There were several large displays of artwork from young member of the community on display in the lobby of the church, as well as some historic photos of the Staunton Corps and members through the years.

The concert began in rousing fashion with The Ambassadors (Peter Graham), immediately followed by the audience joining with the band to sing Joyful, Joyful (Steve Kellner). Words of welcome were then brought by the Divisional Commander for the National Capital and Virginia Division, Major Kelly Igleheart.

The next item was the duet Quicksilver (Peter Graham), featuring Noel Morris (soprano cornet) and David Delaney (cornet). After being ably represented by the duettists, the entire cornet section was featured at the beginning of the following selection, The Power of the Cross (Paul Sharman).

The Downing family has been a key part of the ministry of the National Capital Band for over forty years. The band’s principal trombone, Kevin Downing, is the second generation of that family to play in the band. Although still a student (he is currently a sophomore majoring in trombone performance at the University of Maryland), he is already a virtuoso performer. For this concert, he performed the jazzy solo Joshua, made famous by Bill Pearce and arranged for brass band by Kevin Hayward. The solo features extreme range, a variety of styles, and an amazing cadenza, at the end of which Kevin played an entire phrase in multiphonics – playing two notes (and sometimes three) at the same time.

Kevin’s performance was followed by an example of the Salvation Army’s music program in the Staunton area, as the young players in that program joined with the NCB for Classics in Brass. The band then concluded the first half of the program with William Himes’ suite To the Chief Musician.

After a fifteen-minute intermission, the band brought the audience back to their seats with a rousing rendition of The Firing Line (Bruce Broughton), followed by a congregational song, All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name (arr. William Himes). Another offering from the band in this section of the program was Leonard Ballantine’s big-band style arrangement Shall We Gather.

During the second half of the program, Major Sam Hearne recognized local leaders and members of the Advisory Board of the Staunton Salvation Army. In addition, the Mayor of Staunton, Lacy B. King, Jr., read a proclamation celebrating the centenary of the Salvation Army in Staunton.

Another highlight of the second half was Ray Houser at the piano. Houser is a long-time supporter of the Salvation Army in Staunton and, despite advanced age and failing health, is still able to pound out songs on the piano in a unique country-gospel style.

The National Capital Band ended the festival with two classic items from the pen of Dean Goffin. As Bandmaster Kellner pointed out to the audience, a unique feature of Salvation Army brass music is the meditation – a piece which examines and enlarges on a tune with a strong reference to the associated words. Perhaps the greatest expression of the meditation in the Salvation Army brass band literature is The Light of the World.

The final item of the evening was another masterwork by Dean Goffin, Symphony of Thanksgiving. One of the most challenging items in the entire Salvation Army repertoire, this piece, with its classical form and style, was a fitting end to a concert celebrating 100 years of service in the local community, and was met with extended applause from the nearly 400 people in attendance.

Following the postlude, The Risen Savior (Paul Kellner), the members of the band and audience were treated to an excellent reception in the church’s fellowship hall.

The band is grateful for the assistance provided on Saturday by Dave LaBossiere, who traveled down from Philadelphia to sit in on euphonium.

Sunday, 19 February 2012

On Sunday morning, the band returned to the Staunton Corps building to support the Sunday morning worship service and a Soldiers’ Rally and Birthday Celebration in the afternoon. There was some concern about the weather forecast, as a winter storm warning had been issued for the region by the National Weather Service, but the events continued as planned.

Before morning worship, the band provided some preliminary items, including Angelus (arr. Eric Ball), Jesus Loves Me (James Anderson), Laudes Domini (arr. Eric Ball), O How I Love Jesus (James Curnow) and Lobe den Herren (arr. Eric Ball).

The service featured the Staunton Singing Company, led by Jason Collier, presenting Lord, Your’re Beautiful, the band playing The Light of the World (Dean Goffin) and Major Mark Woodcock, a former corps officer at Staunton, who sang Till the Storm Passes By and brought the message for the morning. NCB Executive Officer Major James Allison participated by enrolling three new senior soldiers into the Staunton Corps.

The afternoon meeting began a bit earlier than planned because of the snow forecast. The congregation from Staunton was bolstered by members of the Harrisonburg Corps and the Charlottesville Corps. The band started things off with The Ambassadors (Peter Graham) and The Firing Line (Bruce Broughton). The meeting was themed “Doors of the Past, Present and Future” and featured three speakers: representing the Past, Lt.-Colonel J. B. Matthews (who was the corps officer at Staunton for the 50th anniversary celebration); representing the Present, Home League Treasurer Jean DePriest; and speaking to the Future, Major Bruce Williams (also a former Staunton corps officer).

Following these presentations, the band’s principal trombone, Kevin Downing, performed the jazz solo Joshua (Pearce/Kaiser, arr. Kevin Hayward) before Lt.-Colonel Sandra Definbaugh brought a Bible message. Lt.-Col. Definbaugh, currently appointed as the Business Manager at National Headquarters, is a Staunton native and attended the corps as a girl.

The weekend was brought to a rousing and appropriate close with the band and congregation joining in O Boundless Salvation, with a “tag” consisting of Heavenly Gales and Praise God, I’m Saved.

Following the meeting, when the outside door was opened, it was evident that the threat of snow had materialized, with two inches already on the ground and more coming down. The members of the NCB quickly packed up, grabbed the box dinners which had been provided by the Staunton Corps, and headed back to the Washington area, fortunately not hindered much by the weather, which improved considerably as they traveled north through Harrisonburg.

The weekend was a great success for both the NCB and the Staunton Corps. The corps officers and members of the Corps and the Advisory Board are to be commended for excellent planning and organization throughout the weekend, which was evidenced by the attendance for the Saturday evening concert.

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Montgomery 25

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On Sunday, 3 April 2011, the Montgomery County (Maryland) Corps of the Salvation Army celebrated 25 years of worship and service. Special guests for the event included the National Capital Band (Bandmaster Dr. Steve Kellner), Major James Allison (General Secretary, National Capital and Virginia Division), and former Montgomery County corps officers Major Earl Fitzgerald and Captains Melvin and Dianne Welch.

Following an excellent cooked-to-order pancake breakfast in the Corps fellowship hall, the celebration proper began with the National Capital Band providing a musical prelude as a photo montage showing the history of the corps was presented. Major Tina McBride, corps officer, gave a welcome and introductions. This was followed by comments from two community representatives. First was Mr. Al Blocker, the chairman of the corps Advisory Board. Next was the chaplain from the Germantown Volunteer Fire Department. The corps and the fire department have worked together on several initiatives since the corps moved to its present location, which is directly across the street from the fire station.

The Montgomery County praise team led a rousing, enthusiastic time of praise and worship, followed by a prayer given by Captain Melvin Welch, a former corps officer at this corps. One of the young people from the corps gave a report on the recently-concluded Youth Councils, which was followed by an ebullient selection from the small, but energetic, Montgomery County Corps Band, under the direction of Bandmaster David Delaney.

Following a congregational song, several persons associated with the corps over the years gave short memoirs. First up was Florence Kuria, long-time member and bookkeeper at the corps. Next was Danielle (Costello) Delaney, who recounted how her family, in a somewhat desperate condition, was invited to the corps by the first corps officers, then-Lieutenants Brack and Annette Dodd. At that time, the corps building was an old frame house near the railroad tracks in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Danielle’s testimony of the change made by this invitation in the life of her and the others in her family was powerful and moving. Captain Dianne Welch also gave a memoir of her time as a corps officer in Montgomery County.

The National Capital Band presented William Broughton’s big-band style Deep River as the offertory. This was followed by a dramatic presentation entitled Walk the Line, written and performed by the youth of the corps, which was originally presented at Youth Councils. Following a congregational song and responsive Scripture reading, Major Earl Fitzgerald, another former corps officer, set the mood for the message of the morning by singing His Grace Still Amazes Me.

The message was given by Major James Allison. He built on the themes expressed in Danielle Delaney’s memoir. In his “down-home”, South Carolina accented style, he skillfully expounded Gospel truth. As the invitation to the altar was given, the band played Eric Ball’s masterful meditation Serenity, during which several people knelt at the altar – a response with which the composer would have been well-pleased.

The presence of seekers at the altar heightened the excitement of the celebration, which was allowed to burst forth as the morning concluded with the congregation and band joining in the song medley Army on the March. Arranged by Bandmaster Kellner, this item contains several “old school” Salvation Army songs, with arrangements taken from several classic marches such as The Invincible Army (Erik Leidzén), Kinshasa (Leslie Condon), and finishing with “On We March with the Blood and the Fire” from Harrow Citadel (A. S. Raikes), with the corps flag being marched around the hall as the congregation sang.

Following some closing remarks and a benediction by Major Steve Morris, Area Commander for the Washington, DC Metro Area, the band sent the happy congregation home to the strains of The Risen Savior (Paul Kellner), with its timeless reminder that “He Lives!”.

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Fredericksburg 125

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On the weekend of 6 – 7 November 2010, the National Capital Band made the short journey to Fredericksburg, Virginia to help celebrate 125 years of Salvation Army work in that city. This was the first ministry weekend under the direction of Bandmaster Dr. Steve Kellner.

Saturday, 6 November 2010

The first Salvation Army meeting in Fredericksburg was held on Sunday, 29 November 1885 at Hayden Hall, 700 Princess Anne Street. The first event of the weekend was the unveiling of a plaque affixed to that building commemorating the event (permission for which was graciously extended by the current occupants, the law offices of Murray Van Lear and Paul Scott). A small ensemble from the band supported the unveiling.

The full band then gathered at Hurkamp Park, in the center of downtown Fredericksburg, for a short outdoor concert. Despite a rather chill wind (and a bird who “targeted” a member of the bass section), the band presented a light program to a small but enthusiastic group of listeners. Items included:

  • Goldcrest
  • Jesus Loves Me
  • God’s Children
  • O, How I Love Jesus
  • Fill the World with Music
  • Teach Me
  • Come, Thou Almighty King
  • Be Thou My Vision
  • Down the Street

The band then went to the venue for the evening concert, Spotswood Baptist Church, where they had a sound check and rehearsal, followed by a meal provided by the Fredericksburg Corps.

The evening festival, with several hundred persons in the audience, started off with two contrasting items, Goldcrest (James Anderson) and The Prayer Meeting (Bruce Broughton). The audience was then invited to stand and sing, the song being “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”, with an accompaniment arranged by Bandmaster Kellner. The executive officer of the National Capital Band, Major James Allison, made some introductions and gave an opening prayer.

After the introductions and prayer, the program continued with another work by Bruce Broughton, The Good Old Way. This was followed by the only soloist of the evening, principal trombone Kevin Downing. Despite only being 18 years of age, Kevin, who is a freshman majoring in trombone performance at the University of Maryland, is already an accomplished soloist, as he showed with his performance of Fantasy for Trombone on Spirituals (Ray Steadman-Allen).

For many years, the suite has been a favorite form in Salvation Army compositions. The next item on the program, Shout Salvation (Robert Redhead), is a fine example of the form written in the mid-1970s. Deputy Bandmaster Matt Sims conducted the band for this item. The final piece of the first half was Power and Glory, a transcription (by Bandmaster Kellner) of a march by John Philip Sousa. This march, which features the well-known hymn tune “Onward, Christian Soldiers” in the trio, is one of very few works in which Sousa used a melody that he had not composed himself.

The second half started with Motivation (William Himes), conducted by the deputy bandmaster. This was followed by the major work of the evening. Commissioner Sir Dean Goffin is one of the giants of Salvation Army music. He demonstrated his mastery of classical forms with his treatment of the familiar hymn tune “Darwalls”, the prelude and fugue Arise, My Soul, Arise. Associating the tune with words by Charles Wesley, this is sacred music of the highest order.

Arise, my soul, arise
Shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice
In my behalf appears;
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on his hands.

Captain Matt Satterlee, corps officer, gave a short presentation on the 125th anniversary of the Fredericksburg Corps. This was followed by a New Orleans-inspired jazz item, Lord, Lord, You Sure Been Good to Me (Eric Alexander).

During the weeks immediately preceding this ministry weekend, Major Dan Delaney, father of principal cornet David Delaney, and Bandmaster James Anderson had been promoted to Glory. Major James Allison, in his devotional thought during the concert, told the story of the song “It Is Well with My Soul”. Bandmaster Anderson’s family was singing this song at his bedside at the moment that he passed away. Following Major Allison’s talk, the band played Eric Ball’s masterful arrangement of this melody, Serenity. It was an emotional performance for many in the group, as this same arrangement had been used at Major Delaney’s funeral just a few weeks before.

The concert concluded with a modern expression of praise, Martin Cordner’s Let Everything Praise.

Sunday, 7 November 2010

After spending the night at nearby Camp Happyland, and being treated to a hot breakfast provided by the camp caretakers and staff, the band returned to Spotswood Baptist for the early service. The band played a mini-concert beginning at 8:30 am, with the service proper starting at 8:55. Items in the mini-concert included Jesus Loves Me (James Anderson), Be Thou My Vision (Steve Kellner), Serentity (Eric Ball) and In Christ Alone (Martin Cordner).

During the service, the band provided the accompaniment for congregational songs, and presented James Curnow’s arrangement of Come, Thou Almighty King. As this was the Sunday before the Veteran’s Day holiday (11 November), the church choir and the band joined for a medley of the songs from the five United States armed services, composed by the director of instrumental music at the church, Robert Farmer, with orchestral parts transcribed for brass by Bandmaster Kellner.

After the service at Spotswood Baptist, the band made a quick break-down and exit, traveling to the Fredericksburg Corps for the holiness meeting there. Again, the band played a few items before the meeting, including Jesus Loves Me and Be Thou My Vision. The band conducted the entire service, accompanying the congregational songs and playing Serenity and In Christ Alone as special items. Joshua Webb read Scripture, and Elizabeth Schramm gave a personal testimony detailing her experiences at the World Youth Conference in Sweden during the past summer. Major Allison gave the sermon, and the meeting concluded with the congregation and band joining in “O Boundless Salvation”. As a postlude, the band played the same march with which the weekend began at Hurkamp Park, Goldcrest.

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