Shown above are grateful recipients from Wiarton Community Church, Ont., including Lieutenants Dwight and Mary Millar, corps officers, youth program leader Lesley Hewines and worship team leader Kristofer Millar.
One of the reasons for the Canadian Staff Band’s existence is to be a role model for the ministry and standards of other Salvation Army brass bands. With that in mind, the CSB must be exemplary in its deportment, witness, playing ability and meaningful ministry. It must strive to be on the cutting edge of creativity and lead the way in modelling new ministry ideas and concepts. This includes the use of media, praise and worship music and new and unique ways to present the gospel to a variety of listeners.
Another very real purpose for the CSB is to support and encourage Salvaton Army brass banding, both senior and junior, throughout the Canada and Bermuda Territory. To that end, the CSB’s Beginners’ Band Support Program was inaugurated and put into action in early 2007. Through the generous support of a corporate sponsor and Yamaha Music Canada, the band has been able to invest over $25,000 to purchase 46 instruments that have now been donated to beginners’ band programs in virtually every part of Canada and Bermuda.
The instruments were shared equitably across the territory according to the size of each division. Each divisional headquarters was contacted and asked to identify the corps to which their allotment of instruments should be sent. Every division responded and all of the instruments have now been sent out to the designated corps.
In some cases, the instruments went to new corps plants where a youth band was being started for the very first time. In other cases, the instruments went to corps that were restarting their band program after several years of inactivity. In still other cases, the instruments went to corps that were experiencing huge growth in the number of young people wanting to be part of viable youth band programs. In each case, the instruments helped meet a need that, left unanswered, would have seen young people unable to participate in this worthwhile ministry.
On November 3, 2006, Oshawa Temple Band hosted the Canadian Staff Band in a joint concert to raise funds for this special program. Proceeds were used to purchase and distribute two additional instruments. A similar concert is planned for November 17, 2007. Along with the CSB, it will also feature two bands from Toronto, Agincourt Community Church and Scarborough Citadel, again with all proceeds going to support this venture.
The CSB intends to make this an ongoing project. To offer your support, or for information on how to make a charitable donation to support this program, please contact me directly at brian_burditt@can.salvationarmy.org or by phone at (416) 422-6212.
Bandmaster Brian Burditt
Canadian Staff Band