New CSB URLs

Four new shorter URLs for the Chicago Staff Band have been created. Feel free to use these or even bookmark them for future reference.

CSB on Facebook: http://sar.my/csbfacebook

CSB on Twitter: http://sar.my/csbtwit

This blog: http://sar.my/csbsecretary

Our web page: http://sar.my/csb

Hopefully these URLs will make us easier to find on the net.

Gospel Arts Festival and Commissioning - Live Stream

The Chicago Staff Band will be participating in the Central Territory's Gospel Arts Festival and Commissioning activities this weekend in Merrillville, IN. We hope to see many of you there, but if you're not able to be present you still have the opportunity to watch the events online. Here's a schedule of events and all times listed are Central Daylight Time (CDT):

Friday, June 10
7:30pm - Sing to the Lord a New Song - of Worship (CSB on duty)

Saturday, June 11

9:00 am - Sing to the Lord a New Song - of Praise 1 (CSB not on duty)

11:00 am - Sing to the Lord a New Song - of Praise 2 (CSB not on duty)

12:30 pm - CSB Lunch Concert in Celebrity Ballroom (not streamed)

7:00 pm - Sing to the Lord a New Song - of Proclamation (CSB on duty)

Sunday, June 12

9:30 am - Commissioning & Ordination Service (CSB not on duty)

2:15 pm - Service of Appointments (CSB on duty)

To watch the live stream visit http://www.salvationarmymedia.org or http://www.salvationarmymedia.org/live.html

There is information at the above link on use of either an iOS (iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone) device or a Roku box for watching the live stream.

UK Tour Days 9-10 (June 4-5)

This entry is being written on Monday, June 6 but it's about Saturday and Sunday, June 4-5, 2011 and the events of the celebration of the ISB's 120th anniversary celebration. It is going to be difficult to put into words all that happened and took place in those two days packed with celebration and worship. But, I'll give it a try.

First, it was another early start for the CSB. We were scheduled to be at the Royal Albert Hall with the other seven participating staff bands of the world at 7:30 am. That meant a 6:00 am call at the Chelmsford Corps. For most of us that meant our alarms once again sounded at 4:45 or 5:00 am at the latest. We all made it to the Army hall on time only to be missing a coach driver. The coach had been parked next to the hall overnight. So, the coach was there but it had no driver to unlock it and the trailer that carried our equipment.

Who else would come to our rescue but our tour leader, Simon Gash. Simon quickly phoned the driver who responded immediately to the call and we loaded quickly for our departure into London.

The drive took us past a number of well known London sites including the Olympic Village being constructed for the 2012 Summer Games, the London Eye, Big Ben and Parliament to name a few. For those in the band who had never been to London those sites caused the excitement to build.

Upon arrival at the Royal Albert Hall there was a coach queue caused by eight staff bands (most with trailers) attempting to arrive simultaneously. But, the queue moved quickly and we soon had all of our gear in a dressing room that we were honored to share with the Japan Staff Band. We were barely settled when we were asked to report to the stage for seating. Each of our sections were seated stage right with our USA cousins the New York Staff Band to our right. To our right were the members of the Amsterdam Staff Band, the Japan Staff Band, the Melbourne Staff Band, the German Staff Band and finally the Canadian Staff Band. In front of all of us were the birthday men/women of the International Staff Band. It was tight but we all fit! To be truthful for a few minutes it was doubtful we would and the special events coordinator predicted it wouldn't work. But in the spirit of the Army we worked together to make it work.

The morning consisted of rehearsing at least parts of each piece we were scheduled to play at the festival that evening. The play list included:

• Fanfare, Prelude and Fugue on Sine Nomine (Graham) - Conductor: Stephen Cobb
• Nothing Do I Bring (Broughton) - Conductor: Hajime Suzuki
• Dancebeat (Sharman) - Conductor: Ken Waterworth
• Stand Up and Bless the Lord (arr. Himes) - Conductor: Heinrich Schmidt
• Pursuing Horizons (Bright) - Conductor: Stephen Cobb
• So Glad (Himes) - Conductor: William Himes
• My Simple Prayer (Lovatt-Cooper, arr. Downie) - Conductor: Olaf Ritman
• In Quiet Pastures (Steadman-Allen) - Conductor: John Lam
• The Call of the Righteous (Condon) - Conductor: Ron Waiksnoris
• St Clements (Blyth) - Conductor: Stephen Cobb
• Celebration (Condon) - Conductor: Stephen Cobb

With all of the above massed band numbers to be rehearsed it's obvious that we had to just touch on a few of them. It was particularly challenging to put together "Pursuing Horizons" because it is written for 3 massed bands. So, the ISB was one band and the other seven were divided into two groups. We'd all rehearsed individually and Saturday morning we barely had time to put it all together. But thanks to each band and the skill of Stephen Cobb it all came together more quickly than expected. In fact, even though we started a bit late the rehearsal ended a few minutes early.

Following the rehearsal the bands were provided a lovely lunch in two seatings. During lunch the CSB presented each band with a plague commemorating the event by displaying each group's name, their current epaulet and a detailed listing of each participant. In addition to the plaque, we provided adequate printed copies for each participant to receive one.

Following lunch it was time for the individual bands to present 20 minute mini concerts in the Royal Albert Hall. Twenty minutes of music, five minutes to get on the stage and five minutes to get off the stage by eight bands yielded a four hour program. Amazingly, that schedule was also adhered to! The eight bands presented in alphabetical order on the following schedule:

• 2:00 pm Amsterdam Staff Band
• 2:30 pm Canadian Staff Band
• 3:00 pm Chicago Staff Band (that's us!)
• 3:30 pm German Staff Band
• 4:00 pm International Staff Band
• 4:30 pm Japan Staff Band
• 5:00 pm Melbourne Staff Band
• 5:30 pm New York Staff Band

Following the New York Staff Band concert there was a one hour interval/intermission for everyone to get ready for the 7:00 pm concert. At 7:00 PM the massed band pieces listed above were to be played. In addition, the ISB and ISS performed the following solo items:

• King of Heaven (Downie) - ISB
• Jesus Loves Me (Bowes) - ISS
• Pardon, Power and Praise (Downie) - ISS
• Scottish Folk Variants (Bulla) - ISB, soloist - Derick Kane

Those gathered in the Albert Hall were wildly enthusiastic as the ISB marched the other seven staff bands into the auditorium and remained that way throughout the evening. Bill Flinn from the Pasadena Tabernacle Corps provided the narration for the evening. Lt. Colonel David Hinton brought the invocation and Commissioner John Matear brought the scripture reading.

The bands were pleased that General Linda Bond and the Chief of Staff and Commissioner Sue Swanson were present for the evening.

At the conclusion of the evening as the bands finished playing "Celebration" pyrotechnics lit up the Royal Albert Hall all the way round. It was a fitting ending to a splendid birthday party that also contained a fair bit of ministry to those in attendance.

While the above description is fairly detailed there is no way to explain the excitement, fun and impact the day had on the participants and those attending. It truly is one of those things that to fully understand required you being present personally.

Following the concert the bands returned to hotels for some much needed rest before returning to the Westminster Central Hall for worship. The Westminster Central Hall is home to a Methodist Congregation that opened it's doors to the Army for a combined Salvation Army/Methodist worship service that included participation from the UK Territorial Youth Band, the ISS and General Linda Bond who preached the word from Psalm 51.

The music at this worship service was superb and General Bond called on us to be a holy people and to understand that it truly is possible to be clean. The message was clear and powerful and brought an altar response from several in attendance.

A quick lunch followed the worship services before the bands formed up in marching position near Admiralty Arch for the parade to the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Again, the bands had been divided into groups for playing on the march. As we marched, The Mall was filled with cheering people. On arrival at Buckingham Palace the ISB moved to one side and marched each of us into place inside the gates of Buckingham Palace where we stood for a short 30 minute concert. Although the Queen was not in residence we were again supported by General Bond, the Chief of Staff and Commissioner Sue Swanson, other Salvation Army dignitaries and members of the Royal Family household staff.

The concert concluded with the playing of "God Save the Queen". Each band then departed the Palace grounds but first played their way past a saluting General Bond as we made our way to Wellington Barracks where we were able to break formation and had a time of fellowship and photo opportunities.

While there, it began to rain so we made our way back to Westminster Central Hall where we changed clothes and took part in a lovely reception. At Westminster Central Hall there was a lot of eating, memento sharing and speeches of thanks given. And, at about 7:00 pm it all came to a conclusion and the individual bands returned to their hotels.

As I said at the beginning of this post there is no way to really put into words what happened in London this past weekend. You truly did have to be there to fully understand. But, there is no doubt that for the participants and those in attendance it was a once in a lifetime event and I'm sure it was a life changing event for many. It truly was a God honoring weekend and a pleasure and privilege to participate in and attend.

Thank you seems so inadequate to say to the organizing folks but it's probably the best thing to say to all who put it all together. A special shout out goes to Simon Gash from the UKI Territorial Headquarters who was assigned as our tour leader. Simon always kept us on schedule, watched out for us and served as our liaison with our local tour hosts. It was really great to get to meet and get to know him. Thanks Simon!

And, that concludes our UK tour of 2011 and participation in ISB 120. Relatively early this morning, most of the band made their way to London Heathrow Airport and as I write this most, if not all, should be home.

Soli Deo Gloria - glory to God alone!

UK Tour - Day 8 (June 3)

The eighth day of the tour started off very early with most of our alarms going off between 4:00 and 4:30 am so that we could make the drive from Consett to Chelmsford and arrive in time for a lunch time concert in the Chelmsford Cathedral. We apologized to our hosts for such an early 5:30 am departure and made our way south, arriving at Chelmsford right about noon. It was a mostly quiet ride as most the band tried to get some much needed sleep.

On arrival at the Cathedral we set up quickly, consumed a lunch provided at the Cathedral and got ready for the 1:30 pm concert. The Cathedral was filled with a very enthusiastic crowd. Some of the musical items presented included "Ein Feste Burg", "Ave Verum", "So Glad", "Dance Like David", "Marching Onward" and other items.

We were free to explore the Chelmsford city center until dinner at the corps. We then returned to the Cathedral for the 7:30 pm concert. It appeared that only the cheap seats remained unsold. We were honored with the presence of the deputy mayor who presented the band with the shield of the city. It was interesting to note the motto of the city of Chelmsford is "many minds, one heart." The program for the evening consisted of basically an "A" program but program "B" soloists were used. This meant that Beth Cooper, Shaun Thomas and Mike Hanton were featured. Mick Shay provided his personal word of witness.

Following the concert we packed our equipment before heading to host homes for another short night of sleep. It will be yet another early call in order to get to the Royal Albert Hall in London for rehearsal with the other 7 bands taking part in the ISB120 celebration tomorrow.

UK Tour - Day 7 (June 2)

Our Thursday started with a relatively short two hour drive from Leeds to County Durham. The first stop was at the County Hall where we were warmly received first by our hosts from the Consett Corps and then by the Chairman of the Durham County Council, Dennis Morgan. During the reception with the Chairman he presented us with the county crest and with a march titled "The Bowburn March" by Ray Farr. Ray Farr has Salvation Army ties and is currently the head of the brass department at Durham University. The march was written to pay tribute to the bravery and the courageous spirit of the people of Bowburn who have toiled beneath the earth and incorporates the hymn tune "Gresford" often referred to as "The Miner's Hymn".

While we were in the reception a team from the Consett Corps kindly loaded our instruments in another vehicle and took them to the Durham Cathedral. At the conclusion of the reception we were taken to Durham City where the coach got as close to the Cathedral as possible. It was a short but beautiful walk over the river and up the hill to the site of the magnificent Cathedral that was completed in 1133. We had about an hour to explore the area around the Cathedral and Durham City before our concert. Some shopped, others visited the European market and others examined the magnificent architecture.

At 1:00 pm we gathered at the Cathedral for a concert. Our local hosts expected 50-100 people to be present but nearly 600 showed up and stayed for our mini 45 minute concert. As is always the case in a building like this the acoustics included a significant reverberation but this Cathedral provided a remarkable amount of clarity as well. Included in the concert was "Soli Deo Gloria", "Precious Lord" and other selections chosen from our tour repertoire.

Following the concert, Cathedral guides provided us with an abbreviated tour. For the less refined that may be unimpressed with the architecture and history you would want to know that we saw the hall in the Cathedral used for Hogwarts in the "Harry Potter" films. But, having now been to the Cathedral and having learned more about it, it is extremely impressive.

We then returned to the coach for the 30 minute ride to Consett where the corps provided a meal of mince and dumplings. Following dinner we received a presentation on the history of the Consett Corps Band which was the first corps band in the Salvation Army world. At the completion of that presentation it was time to walk to the Empire Theater down the street from the Army hall for final concert preparations. The concert was sold out and approximately 500 were in attendance in a lovely theater setting. The "A" program was presented.

In just 7 hours or so the band was able to present our gospel message through music to about 1,100 people in County Durham! Well done and thank you Consett Corps.

Tomorrow is our last solo tour day before meeting up with the other 7 staff bands at ISB120 and we have a 5:30 am departure. To be truthful, we are weary so please pray for us as we strive to live up to our mission as "the band with a sacred mission."

UK Tour - Day 6 (June 1)

The sixth day of our tour found us making the trip from Norwich to Leeds. The actual trip was uneventful although delayed by a major accident on the A17. In spite of the delay we arrive at Leeds in time for a wonderful cooked lunch before departing for a civic reception with The Lord Mayor of Leeds (Rev'd Councillor Alan Taylor). Prior to meeting The Lord Mayor the Sergeant-at-Mace took the time to explain the Government structure of Leeds and answer questions. Leeds is the third largest government in England with London and Birmingham being 1 and 2 respectively. The Lord Mayor was very gracious in his remarks to the band and took additional time to pose in a group photograph with us.

Following the reception we proceeded to Morley Town Hall to prepare for the evening concert. We were keenly aware of the brass band tradition of the area and the fact that the Black Dyke Band has used Morley Town Hall for recording on a number of occasions. Their conductor, Dr. Nicholas Childs, was in attendance and greeted several members of our band prior to the concert.

The very responsive Morley Town Hall was nearly full and in addition to friends from the UK we met people from the USA who have traveled to the UK in order to be part of the ISB120 celebrations including a young man from Virginia and the divisional music director from the Kansas & Western Missouri Division in our own USA Central Territory. Personally I was able to meet a Salvation Army officer that was in Zambia while my parents served for a short term there in retirement.

The "B" program was presented and included "Let Everything Praise" and "Artist of My Soul" (Heidi Strand, soloist). Alberto Rapley provided his personal testimony.

Following the concert we loaded our equipment for transport and storage at the Morley Corps in preparation for our morning departure. We then retired to host homes for the remainder of the evening.

A big thank you goes out to our official hosts at the Leeds Central Corps and the other Salvationists from Morley and elsewhere in the Yorkshire Division.

Tomorrow we head to our most northerly destination of the tour, Consett in County Durham.

UK Tour - Day 5 (May 31)

Today marks the time in tour where we wake up, travel to a new place, play a concert, go to bed and then begin the cycle over again. That will be or schedule until we arrive back in London on Saturday. But we will get to see a bit of the countryside from inside a coach and will meet many fantastic people along the way.

We loaded the coach and trailer in Reading this morning and headed to Norwich where we were to be hosted at the Norwich Citadel Corps. The Norwich Citadel is corps number 304 in the Salvation Army world and has a longstanding brass band tradition. Their band has been in our territory no fewer than three times and the Norridge Citadel Band visited Norwich a few years ago. So, there are some connections between our home territory and Norwich.

Upon arrival we set up quickly before heading out to find lunch on our own. The band found everything to eat including roast beef sandwiches, sausages, fish and chips, cornish pasties and Subway. One of those is not an indigenous dish!

Following lunch we took a brief tour of Norwich on the coach as we made our way to a boat tour of the Broads, Britain's magical waterland. The Broads are a series of lakes and rivers joined together into a delightful and beautiful waterway. We were treated to a 1 1/2 hour tour out of Wroxham.

At the conclusion of the tour we were treated to a lovely carvery dinner before returning to the Army hall for final concert preparations. One of our young percussionists wasn't feeling well and it was necessary for him to miss the concert. It was nothing serious (he's fine this morning) but it was very helpful to have a member of the Norwich Citadel Band fill in for him for the concert.

The hall was nearly full and we used our "A" program with Mike Hanton performing "Swing Low". We also included the congregational song "Zephaniah's Song".

It was a good day in Norwich and we are grateful for all the provisions made on our behalf. After a short night of sleep we are headed further north to Leeds tomorrow.