worship
format popular in many evangelical
churches – have also touched the Army,
but “it’s not an issue in the Army now.
Congregations seem to have settled their
musical identity – some choosing guitars,
some choosing brass and many choosing to blend these musical expressions.
In many cases it’s a question of what
musical resources are available.”
Three Ontario congregations that
have maintained their brass musical
identity celebrated their 125th anniversaries recently. The oldest is a brass
band in Hamilton, Ont., founded in
1883 by Joe Ludgate, one of the found-
ers of The Salvation Army in Canada.
This Hamilton I Band was renamed the
Hamilton Temple Band and today is
known as the Meadowlands Community Church Band. Another 1883 band
is the London Citadel Band in London,
Ont. This year the band at the Bramp-ton Citadel, about 40 km northwest of
Toronto, also reached its 125th.
“I don’t think any other musical
medium anywhere is nearly as flexible
as a brass band,” says Ron Heintzman, the bandmaster at Meadowlands,
Hamilton.
Heintzman started playing when he
was seven. Now, 30 years later, he’s also a
member of the Canadian Staff Band, the
country’s premier Salvation Army brass
band ( www.canadianstaffband.ca). He
also holds down a full-time job selling
funeral pre-arrangements.
The strength of brass bands, says
Heintzman, is their ability to play a
variety of musical styles including rock,
grunge and ska – while still producing
a unique sound.
Pho Tos Cour TEsy: ThE salva Tion army
“There has never been more interest
in brass bands in society than today,”
adds Heintzman, citing the use of brass
bands by other churches that often use
Salvation Army compositions and arrangements.
Some of those arrangements are
brass versions of the latest contemporary worship songs – not so bands
can be “relevant, but so bands will
be equipped to accompany the songs
worship leaders are choosing for congregations to sing,” explains Metcalf.
“This is a practical necessity regarding
the involvement of bands in Salvation
Army worship services.”
And while street corners may be
closed, other avenues of ministry have
opened for Army bands.
“There are more opportunities now
than ever before,” says Heintzman. The
Meadowlands band, for example, has
taken part in Hamilton’s Canadian
International Military Tattoo for the
past seven years. At the annual gather-
ing of brass, bagpipe and fife-and-drum
bands, the Army band has performed
hymns such as “How Great Thou Art”
and “Onward Christian Soldiers” in
shows attended by more than 8,000
people. Band tours, such as a trip by
the London Citadel Band to Holland,
Mich., for that city’s Tulip Time Festival in early May, offer opportunities
for public witness.
And the future of Salvation Army
bands seems secure with 1,255 members in 110 youth bands being diligently tuned up as the next generation
of band members. While summer music
camps help the seven- to 14-year-olds
hone their playing and theory skills,
they also learn through one-on-one
tutoring and performing in local congregations.
Effective band programs are the
result of “adult Christian musicians
caring enough to spend time teaching, mentoring and nurturing their
congregation’s young people,” says
Metcalf.
Robert White is a freelance writer in
Guelph, Ont. To browse through Army
band recordings and music, visit http://store.
salvationarmy.ca. To keep up with band
performances, visit www.themeonline.ca.
