The Brass Crest
Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • About the Site
    • About the Webmaster
    • Statement of Faith
    • Five Steps to Eternal Life
  • Articles
    • News
    • New Releases
    • Event Announcements
    • Tune of the Week
  • Bands
  • Basics
    • Purpose
    • Types
    • Structure
    • Salvation Army Organization
  • Instruments
    • Generic Brass: Sound
    • Generic Brass: Parts
    • Brass Band Instrumentation
    • Cornet
    • Horn
    • Baritone
    • Trombone
    • Euphonium
    • Bass (Tuba)
    • Percussion
  • Links
    • General Brass Links
    • General Music Links
    • Other Sites
    • Salvation Army Bands
    • Salvation Army Music
    • Salvation Army Sites
    • Link Request
  • Resources
    • Two-Part Hymn Series
    • Errata Project
    • Tune Book Resources
      • Tune-to-Song Index (1987)
      • Tune-to-Song Index (1953)
      • Metrical Index of Songs (1987)
      • Metrical Index of Songs (1953)
  • Link Request
  • Submit an Article
Menu

Christmas in Toronto

Posted on 9 February 201130 August 2013 by Webmaster

December 2010 was again a busy month for the [bclink id=”938″ target=”_blank”] (Bandmaster John Lam), with two annual Christmas events on back-to-back Saturdays.

Christmas with the Salvation Army

The first event was the annual Christmas with the Salvation Army program at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. Guests for this year included the [bclink id=”1140″ target=”_blank”] (Artistic Director Sydney Birrell), trumpet soloist Michael Baker from New York, organist Ian Sadler and actor Colin Fox.

The Peterborough Singers made up the core of this year’s Festival Chorus, supplemented by Salvation Army songster brigades from London Citadel, North York Temple, Oshawa Temple, Peterborough Temple and Yorkminster Citadel. The massed group sang four selections, including And the Glory from Handel’s Messiah with organist Ian Sadler, Alleluia (Randall Thompson, arr. Leonard Ballantine) accompanied by the Staff Band, Night of the Angel (a work commissioned for the Peterborough Singers in 2009), Every Star Shall Sing a Carol and The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy.

Items from the Peterborough Singers, bringing a somewhat classical note to this year’s concert, included works such as Christians, Be Joyful from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, with organ, trumpet and timpani accompaniment. Other notable pieces were O Brilliante Estella (Mark Sirrett) and Gloria from Missa Kenya (Paul Basler), which was sung a capella with only two djembe drums as accompaniment.

Michael Baker delighted the audience with four contrasting numbers – Gloria in Excelsis (Dorothy Gates) on piccolo trumpet, Ray Bowes’ Rhapsody for Cornet and Band, What Child Is This? (Douglas Court) and Blessed Assurance (Stephen Bulla) which featured the soloist playing both flügelhorn and trumpet.

In addition to providing accompaniment for three carols and the holiday song I’ll Be Home for Christmas, the Staff Band’s major contributions to the evening were Carol of the Bells (Jeff Christmas), The Holly and the Ivy (Douglas Court) and Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival, transcribed by William Gordon, which was especially appreciated by the audience.

In addition to the musical offerings, dramatist Colin Fox presented a series of readings. The Territorial Commander for Canada and Bermuda, Commissioner William Francis, brought a devotional message. Thanking the Salvation Army for its valuable work in the community was Ontario Lieutenant-Governor David Onley. A surprise moment occurred when Canadian Salvationists Bob and Shirley MacArthur were presented with the Salvation Army’s highest recognition of achievement, the Order of the Founder, for their sacrificial service in the Caribbean Territory over the past 25 years.

32nd Annual Christmas Carol Concert

A week later, the Staff Band was off to St. Paul’s Church for the annual Christmas Carol Concert. This event consists of two performances, both of which are usually packed, and helps the Toronto Star provide gift boxes to 45,000 underprivileged children in the Greater Toronto area. Conductor emeritus Giles Bryant was again in top form, leading massed choirs and the audience with band and organ accompaniment.

The Staff Band contributed two items, The Holly and the Ivy (Douglas Court) and a piece written by Robert Redhead for the Staff Band last year, Christ Is Born!. This work features numerous carols, including A Great and Mighty Wonder (“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”), Huron Carol (“’Twas in the Moon of Wintertime”), A Child This Day Is Born and Unto Us a Child Is Born.

Source:
[bclink id=”938″ target=”_blank”] web site

Connect with the Brass Crest

Link to our Facebook Page
Link to our Twitter Page
Link to our Youtube Page
Link to our Rss Page

Recent Articles

  • Two-Part Hymn Series: Ten More Tunes
  • STANDING ON THE PROMISES (Tune of the Week)
  • Staff Band Marks Passing of Ken Graham (1936–2018)
  • Joyful & Triumphant
  • NICAEA (Tune of the Week)
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
  • 2004
  • 2003
  • 2002
  • 2001

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Articles

Two-Part Hymn Series: Ten More Tunes

1 June 2019 14:24

The latest set of ten tunes in our Two-Part Hymn Series has been released. There are now 90 tunes available in the second phase, and 210 overall. Read more

Posted in: New Releases, Sheet Music

STANDING ON THE PROMISES (Tune of the Week)

10 January 2019 06:05

Tune of the Week for 10 January 2019. Read more

Posted in: Tune of the Week
Ken Graham

Staff Band Marks Passing of Ken Graham (1936–2018)

9 January 2019 06:36

The Canadian Staff Band (Bandmaster John Lam) has announced, with great sadness, the passing of Bandsman Ken Graham (North York Temple) on 24 December 2018. Graham was a member of the Staff Band cornet section for nine years, 1985–1994. Read more

Posted in: News

Joyful & Triumphant

8 January 2019 06:40

On 1 December 2018, the National Capital Band (Bandmaster Dr. Steve Kellner) was at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia, for Joyful & Triumphant, a Christmas concert and carol sing-a-long. Read more

Posted in: News

NICAEA (Tune of the Week)

3 January 2019 07:23

This is the first of a new series, Tune of the Week, featuring tunes from our Two-Part Hymn Series. Read more

Posted in: Tune of the Week

Two-Part Hymn Series Reaches 200

29 December 2018 10:57

The latest set of ten tunes in our has been released. This brings the total number of tunes in the series to 200. All of these tunes are free to download and use. Read more

Posted in: New Releases, Sheet Music

Away In a Manger (Cornet Solo)

19 December 2018 05:40

James Allen has crafted a beautiful and simple cornet solo that blends together two familiar tunes associated with the much-loved Christmas carol. Read more

Posted in: New Releases, Sheet Music
The New York Staff Band at historic Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, November 2018

NYSB Massachusetts Ministry Weekend

19 December 2018 05:23

On the weekend of 16 – 18 November 2018, the New York Staff Band (Bandmaster Derek Lance) traveled to the Massachusetts Division for a ministry weekend that included stops in Worcester, Canton, Boston, and Brockton. Massachusetts Divisional Music Director (DMD) Matthew Luhn and his team organized the events of the weekend. Read more

Posted in: News

Brass for GOSH Launched

3 December 2018 05:17

The London Central Fellowship Band (Bandmaster David Rudd) launched their latest recording with a concert at Regent Hall on 17 November 2018. Just under 300 people were in attendance for a fantastic night of music-making, raising funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Charity. All of the profits realized by Citadel Promotions, the producers, will benefit the hospital charity, leading to the title of the recording, Brass for GOSH. Read more

Posted in: New Releases, News, Recording
Kintambo Band at the 10th anniversary service for the Plateau District, eastern Kinshasa

Kintambo Band Supports Anniversary Service

1 December 2018 08:32

On Sunday, 28 October 2018, the Kintambo Band (Bandmaster Henri Makanda Nkodia) had the privilege of being on duty at the Menkao Post in the Plateau District (the eastern part of the city of Kinshasa) for the district’s tenth anniversary Thanksgiving service. Read more

Posted in: News
©2022 The Brass Crest