December has been a busy month for the CSB as we were once again 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 the Peterborough Singers under their conductor Sydney Birrell, trumpet soloist Michael Baker from New York, organist Ian Sadler and perennial favourite actor Colin Fox. The Peterborough Singers made up the core of this year’s Festival Chorus, supplemented by Salvation Army songster groups from London Citadel, North York Temple, OshawaTemple, PeterboroughTemple and Yorkminister Citadel. The massed group sang four selections, including And the Glory from Handel’s Messiah (with organist Ian Sadler), Randall Thompson’s Alleluia (accompanied by the CSB in an arrangement by Major Len Ballantine), Night of the Angel (commissioned for the Peterborough Singers in 2009), Every Star Shall Sing a Carol and The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy.
The Peterborough Singers brought a somewhat classical flavour to this year’s concert as exemplified in such works as Christians, Be Joyful from J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (with organ, trumpet and timpani accompaniment), O Brilliante Estrella (Mark Sirrett) and Gloria from Missa Kenya (Paul Basler), sung a capella with only two African djembe drums for accompaniment.
Soloist Michael Baker delighted the audience with four contrasting selections – Gloria in Excelsis (arr. Dorothy Gates) on piccolo trumpet, Ray Bowe’s Rhapsody for Cornet and Band, Douglas Court’s What Child Is This? and Stephen Bulla’s Blessed Assurance featuring both flugel horn and trumpet.
In addition to accompanying three carols and the holiday song I’ll Be Home For Christmas, the CSB’s main contributions to the evening were Carol of the Bells (arr. Jeff Christmas), The Holly and the Ivy (arr. Douglas Court) and Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival (trs. William Gordon), which was especially appreciated by the audience.
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 surprise moment occurred when Canadian Salvationists Bob and Shirley McArthur were presented with The Salvation Army’s highest recognition of achievement, the Order of the Founder, honouring their sacrificial service in the CaribbeanTerritory over the past 25 years.
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A week later it was off to St. Paul’s Church for the 32nd annual Christmas Carol Concert, an 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. Conductor emeritus Giles Bryant was once again in top form, leading the massed choirs and congregation in the usual carols with band and organ accompaniment. The CSB’s contributions were Douglas Court’s The Holly and the Ivy and a new piece written by Robert Redehad for the band last year, Christ is Born!, featuring 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.
December is a busy month for Salvation Army band members, and the extra-mile service when you’re in the staff band is all part of the privilege of service.
To our regular visitors, we wish you a Happy Christmas and a new year filled with God’s richest blessing.