The weekend of 18 – 19 February 2017 saw the Amsterdam Staff Band (Bandmaster Olaf Ritman) join with the Nationale Jeugd Brassband (National Youth Band of the Salvation Army in the Netherlands, Bandmaster Daniel Rosenquist) in Rotterdam for teaching and ministry. This weekend has been a fixed item on the Staff Band’s calendar for a few years. Events were divided between the two corps in the city, Rotterdam East and Rotterdam South. Rotterdam East is the home corps of no less than eight members of the Staff Band and six members of the Youth Band, including its bandmaster.
Saturday, 18 February 2017
Amsterdam Staff Band (Bandmaster Olaf Ritman) and National Youth Band (Bandmaster Daniel Rosenquist), Rotterdam, February 2017
Saturday was filled with rehearsals and Bible study, as the members of the Staff Band enjoyed working with the Youth Band. However, there was also time for fff, in this case not “fortississimo”, but food, fun, and fellowship. In the evening, the bands combined for a festival.
The Saturday night program was interesting, with both bands in good form. A large portion of the program was “cornets to the fore”, featuring two cornet solos, a cornet duet, and a cornet ensemble. Particular mention must be made of 16-year-old Youth Band member Annet van der Schult. Proudly holding down the last chair in the second cornet section, she did a great job with her performance of Boundless Futurists (Olaf Ritman).
The hall was sold out and contained a very appreciative and enthusiastic audience. The Rotterdam East Corps has a hall that is not really suitable for a big music event (meaning that it can be very loud), and an older man on the front row could not contain his enthusiasm, answering every piece with “fantastic, please more, more, more” and when the concert had nearly concluded said loudly, “Please continue!”
The full program for the Saturday evening concert was:
- National Youth Band
- Make His Praise Glorious (William Gordon)
- Written in Red (Dean Jones)
- Boundless Futurists (Olaf Ritman), Annet van der Schult, cornet soloist
- Hine e Hine (Peter Graham)
- In Quiet Pastures (Ray Steadman-Allen)
- The Great Rescue (Martin Cordner)
- Amsterdam Staff Band
- Concertante, Part 1 (Stephen Bulla)
- ... bought with Your blood (Olaf Ritman)
- High Over All (Sam Creamer)
- My Song of Songs (arr. Joseph Turrin), Michel Arnoldus, cornet soloist
- Song of Courage (Eric Ball)
- Massed Bands
- Flashpoint (Paul Sharman)
- Prelude on “Lavenham” (Geoffrey Nobes)
- The Cleansing Stream (Erik Leidzén), Daniel Rosenquist and Steef Klepke, cornet duetists
- Shine as the Light (Peter Graham)
- Unconquered (Arthur Gullidge)
Sunday, 19 February 2017
The city of Rotterdam is separated by the second-largest river in the country, the Maas, with a length of 925 km, ultimately emptying into the North Sea. The Rotterdam East Corps is on the north bank and the Rotterdam South Corps (of course) is on the south bank. All of Saturday, and Sunday morning, were spent at Rotterdam East, with the Staff Band shifting to Rotterdam South for the Sunday afternoon concert. Featured items on the concert included the only non-cornet solo of the weekend, Comfort, My People (Robert Redhead) played by Staff Band principal euphonium Michel Rosenquist. Other features were the Dutch premiere of Jubilant Praise (James Curnow) and To Boldly Go (Peter Graham).
Staff Band items on Sunday morning:
- Alleluia, Amen! (Brian Hogg)
- The Christ of Calvary (Mervyn Clarke)
- On We March (Kevin Larsson)
Items for the Sunday afternoon concert:
- Valerius Intrada (Jan de Haan)
- Jubilant Praise (James Curnow)
- Comfort, My People (Robert Redhead), Michel Rosenquist, euphonium soloist
- High Over All (Sam Creamer)
- My God and King (Paul Sharman)
- Prelude on “Lavenham” (Geoffrey Nobes)
- To Boldly Go (Peter Graham)
- Triumphant Prospect (Olaf Ritman)
Source:
Amsterdam Staff Band Facebook page, original post by Steef Klepke