December was a busy month for the CSB as we were on duty for our two annual Christmas events on back-to-back Saturdays.

 

First up was the annual Christmas With The Salvation Army program at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. This year’s guests were Barbara and Steve Allen from Los Angeles, who inspired the audience with a selection of items. Starting with It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Barbara then moved into Who Would Imagine a King before concluding her first set with a sing-along medley, arranged and accompanied by her husband, Steve, on the piano. Later in the program she delighted the audience by recruiting a volunteer to assist her as she presented Christmas on the Beach in Malibu, which came on the heels of Big Band Santa and proved to be a real highlight of the night. Elsewhere on the program Barbara was the featured soloist with the festival chorus, piano and staff band in a new Len Ballantine arrangement of the song More Than Wonderful, and to close out the evening, a setting of the contemporary worship song Adonai.

 

The chorus itself was in fine form again this year. In addition to providing the descant for the congregational carols, the group presented three other items—Little Lord Jesus Is Born (John Wells, arr. Ballantine), For Unto Us a Child Is Born from Handel’s Messiah, and a new setting of the Huron Carol, also by Len Ballantine. Accompaniments were by Bill Way on piano and Elizabeth Colley on flute, with drums, bass guitar and other instruments as required. For Unto Us A Child Is Born from Handel's Messiah was accompanied by organist Giles Bryan, who also played for the carols along with the band in the familiar David Willcocks arrangements..

 

The CSB’s main contribution to the evening was the world premier of a new work by Robert Redhead written for this concert. Entitled Christ Is Born!, it features numerous carols associated with Christ’s birth, including A Great and Mighty Wonder (Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming), the Huron Carol (‘Twas in the moon of wintertime), A Child This Day Is Born and Unto Us a Child Is Born. Starting simply, the music builds until it reaches a majestic and glorious conclusion with the peal of bells and rich, sonorous chords echoing off the walls of Roy Thomson Hall.   

 

Also appearing on the program were dramatist Colin Fox who presented a series of readings; the territorial commander, Commissioner William W. Francis, who brought a devotional message; and Ontario Lieutenant-Governor David Onley, who brought greetings and thanked the Army for its valuable work to the community.

 

A week later it was off to St. Paul’s Church for the 31st annual Christmas Carol Concert, an annual event that is always packed out for both performances and helps the Toronto Star provide gift boxes to 45,000 underprivileged children in the Greater Toronto Area. Once again this year, conductor emeritus Giles Bryant was in fine form, leading the massed choirs and congregation in the usual carols with band and organ accompaniment. The CSB’s contributions were A Great and Mighty Wonder (Kenneth Downie) and Morten Lauridsen’s beautiful setting of O Magnum Mysterium, arranged for band by Len Ballantine. Both items were very well received.

 

For Salvation Army band members, December is a busy month when you hit the ground with your feet running and don’t stop until it’s all over. And the extra-mile service when you’re in the staff band, which comes on top of normal corps band duties, is all part of the privilege of service.

To all our regular visitors, we wish you a very Happy Christmas and all the blessings of a new year filled with the joy and peace of God's love.

(Photo of St. Paul's Church, above, courtesy of David Cooper, Toronto Star)