by Stan Ewing

For 10 days before and around the Easter weekend 2008, members of the Canadian Staff Band travelled to Mexico City to conduct the very first Territorial Music Institute for the young territory and engage in supportive ministry for the various Easter meetings. The following is a detailed account of the band’s visit.

Friday, March 14
After a long day of travel and a safe arrival at Mexico City International Airport, we were greeted by Major Doug Danielson, divisional commander for the area, and transported to the Salvation Army's Casa Hogar Children's Home where the Territorial Music Institute was to be held. Our hosts were the administrators, Majors Facundo and Bersabe Vera.

The young residents of the home had gone away for the Easter holiday week, so the place was at our disposal, enabling the Salvationists to utilize the facility. The building was set up like a mini-training college, complete with dormitories, a dining hall and chapel. It was located about an hour from the downtown area, in a residential neighbourhood that in recent years has become quite upscale, to the point where it is now a gated community, with many of the luxurious homes fenced off for security.

Saturday, March 15
On Saturday the students began to arrive, and were auditioned both for theory and instrumental. Approximately 75 students had enrolled and we were surprised to find that only four had ever played a brass instrument previously! So it was basically beginner bands all around.

DHQ and some of the corps in the Mexico City area had rounded up some instruments, so after auditions, the faculty met to decide how to allocate them. None of the students had arrived with their own. Three bands were formed, but due to the number of instruments at our disposal, it was decided that only two bands could function at one time while the other third of the student body would have theory. Then the roles would be reversed. This meant that the students would share instruments and would have to remember which one they had used, so there would be no confusion next time around.
Saturday evening was designated “Mexican Night,” and the M.C. duties were shared by two local Salvationists on faculty, Hannah Danielson and José (Pepé) Sanchez. They did this in an entertaining and melodramatic way, making the students stand and be recognized for the corps they represented, as well as outlining the responsibilities of the students in areas of housekeeping, attendance and punctuality. Retired Colonel David Gruer, a Canadian and former CSB executive officer with a lifetime of experience serving in Latin-American countries, had travelled with us from Toronto and interpreted the proceedings for us. Some games were enjoyed by the students, then we had a snack before retiring for the night.

Part 2 - Coming April 18th, 2008