On the weekend of October 4-5, the Canadian Staff Band launched our 40th anniversary season with a visit to three communities on Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula, in between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. Responding to an initial invitation by a non-Army group to do a Saturday evening concert at Lion’s Head, we were happy that both Owen Sound and Wiarton Corps were able to host us for the Sunday, thus enabling us to touch three different communities.

 

Close to 200 people attended the Saturday evening concert at Bruce Peninsula District School. Organized by Ken Hodge and Bernie Webber, both of whom had previous Salvation Army connections, the program was held in conjunction with the 125th anniversary of Christ Church Anglican congregation in Lion’s Head, who would also be hosting a CSB ensemble Sunday morning. A variety of new and old repertoire was presented by the band to a very appreciative audience, including Where Eagles Sing (Lovatt-Cooper), Salvation’s Song (Gordon), Malaguena (Lecuona) and Dean Goffin’s classic Symphony of Thanksgiving. Also on the first half of the program were the first movement of Stephen Bulla’s Concertante for Band, featuring the cornet section, and solos by Ron Heintzman and Noel Samuels, playing Concertpiece for Cornet (Curnow) and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee respectively (not easy on a tuba, but Noel did a fantastic job as always).

 

The second half of the night featured Hallelujah Parade (Norbury), Wade in the Water (Ballantine), Dance of the Comedians (Smetana), and percussionist Leigh Rowney showing off his dexterity in the xylophone solo Joyous Rhythm (Grainger). Two hymn tune arrangements – Abide With Me (Burgmayer) and Amazing Grace (Himes) – helped inject some spiritual moments into what otherwise was really a secular concert. Under vocal director Steve Brown, the band also sang Michael W. Smith’s Shine On Us. To end the evening, Bandmaster John Lam chose another new piece, Vitae Aeternum by Paul Lovatt-Cooper, resident composer with Britain’s Black Dyke Band. Then following a standing ovation by the appreciative crowd, we ended the night with Montreal Citadel.

 

On Sunday morning, the band split into three groups to minister at Owen Sound and Wiarton Corps, as well as Christ Church Anglican in Lion’s Head. By all accounts each ensemble was well received as it participated in the various worship services at each location. Coming together again for the afternoon, we presented a second full-length concert at St. John’s United Church in Wiarton. Organized by the local corps, the event raised more than $1,500 for the Home Energy Assistance Trust, which assists low-income families throughout the peninsula pay their heating bills over the winter. The program featured a wide variety of music, including God With Us (arr. Norbury), Celebration (Condon), Be Thou My Vision (arr. Woodland) and Martin Cordner’s Lord of Sea and Sky.

The CSB feels privileged to have touched three communities in its weekend ministry. It was a tremendous start to the year and a wonderful opportunity to impact lives for God’s Kingdom.