Why it will always have an important place in our ministry.
The rhythm of summer is such a refreshing change as we turn off the heat, head outdoors and live at a different pace than we do the rest of the year. I look forward to reading a pile of books and to the activities of my annual vacation. Among our holiday plans this summer, my wife, Eleanor, and I will be involved on the staff of senior music camp at Jackson’s Point, Ontario Central-East Division. It has been a few years since we last went to music camp and I’m a bit apprehensive about how our aging bodies will handle the pace. That said, I’m sure the richness of the experience will more than compensate for the fatigue.
Music camp has become part of the culture of The Salvation Army. In the years since I last attended, it has evolved to become a meeting place that promotes a wide variety of expressions under the rubric of “gospel arts.†The formerly dominant brass band is just part of the palette.
The assault on the central place of the band in Salvation Army worship began during my university days in the 1960s, as many people questioned how our identity seemed to be built around our brass bands. Was it worth the effort and the expense? Did it connect? Did it serve our mission? Passionate voices were heard on each side of the debate.
As discussions wore on, the band movement seemed to decline. More significantly, brass band enthusiasts seemed to lose confidence in the future of Salvation Army bands. A major article on Army banding in Canada concluded that its future would depend on action taken by territorial administration. So are Eleanor and I heading off to spend a week of our holidays investing in something that’s just going to disappear anyway? I don’t think so, because the Army band is re-inventing itself.
For one thing, the music has changed. Bands are learning to exploit the remarkable flexibility of the medium. Yesterday’s programs of dense, serious music are giving way to a more balanced repertoire that caters to a broad range of tastes. Music reflects the culture from which it springs. In a way, we have recaptured the genius of the 19th-century town band that played the music of its generation.
Another, even more significant, change is the rediscovery of the band as a true outreach tool. Music leaders are using brass bands as a way to reach out into the community and to connect with people at different levels of corps involvement. I’ve witnessed several examples of that in recent weeks.
At Agincourt Community Church, Toronto, where we attend, the youth band exists as a program to attract neighbourhood kids who want to be part of this kind of music group. In Richmond Hill, Ont., one of the Army’s newer church plants, a community music program has been instrumental in bringing several young people to church. Montreal Citadel has embarked on a Blast of Brass program that invites community people of all ages to learn a brass instrument-in fact, there are three generations from one family all playing in the group. And London Citadel, Ont., operates with four bands from learners to the corps’ senior band and a fellowship band for those who want to experience a band without the disciplined commitment of membership in the corps band.
The point is bigger than the band. It’s about looking out of our own immediate circle, finding ways to connect with people and allowing them to participate. Today’s brass band is a lot more flexible than the model that I grew up with. But it still offers people a chance to feel the joy of belonging to a group and of expressing their faith and devotion in an artistic way.
When I wrote in my will that I wanted an Army band to play at my funeral, one of my friends joked that I’d better die soon to ensure there would still be a band left to play. But I’m not worried, because I know that bands are adapting. I plan to live a long time-and there will be an Army band to play me good-bye.
by Colonel Glen Shepherd, chief secretary
Reprinted from Salvationist, August 2007