Lansing, MI Concert

The CSB travelled by bus to Lansing, MI earlier today. The events of the weekend included a concert this evening and will conclude with a worship service tomorrow morning. The concert this evening was well attended at the beautiful South Church in Lansing. This venue came highly recommended to us by Bandmaster Himes who had been there when Lansing hosted the Melbourne Staff Band about 18 months ago. He was correct... the facility is beautiful and a good place to play.

So far we have been well hosted by Majors Robert and Alice Scott who are the Capital Area commanders for the Salvation Army. In addition to many from the local area it was great to see a number of people who travelled to Lansing from Detroit, Flint, Port Huron, Kalamazoo and Mt Clemens. I've probably missed a few other places.

The concert this evening was presented compliments of Dart Bank and for that we and the Salvation Army in the Capital Area are grateful.

Tomorrow (Sunday, March 30) we will participate in a 10:30 am worship service at Peoples Church in East Lansing before we take the bus back home.

For those who are still reading the program for the evening follows:

• Milestone
• Pilgrim Song
• Glory To His Name (Beth Cooper, soloist)
• Band Chorus: Celebration & How Blest Are Those
• I Walked Today (Brett Tolcher, soloist)
• Testimony (Mary Kim)
• Ashoken Farewell
• Post Bellum Rhapsody
• Northern Brass
• Festival of Thanksgiving
• Artist of My Soul (Heidi Strand, soloist)
• Scripture (Lt. Colonel Mickey McLaren)
• Onward Christian Soldiers
• Stars and Stripes Forever
• Choral Benediction

Holy Week

Our spring break is over and we were back in the rehearsal room last Tuesday. We're busy getting ready for our visit to Lansing, MI but that doesn't take place until after Easter.

Speaking of Easter, we began Holy Week today by celebrating Palm Sunday at our respective Salvation Army corps today. It doesn't really have anything to do with the CSB since the only time we will be together during the week will be at rehearsal on Tuesday evening. But in another sense it has everything to do with the CSB since the events of this week provides all of the motivation for what we try to do as a band in sharing the gospel wherever and whenever we are together. In particular without the events of Good Friday and the joy of Easter morning there would be no Salvation Army and hence no Chicago Staff Band.

So, I for one, will observe carefully the events of this week. If nothing more I want to be reminded of what Christ did for me so that I can serve him more fully.

"Spring Break Week"

It's official!

The Chicago Staff Band will be taking a spring break from rehearsal this week. There's a host of reasons for it including the prediction of more snow for the Chicago area. Actually, we usually take a spring break the last week in March. This year it's been moved up to March 4, 2008. Then it's back to the rehearsal room for three more rehearsals before we head off for a weekend in Lansing, MI.