The Canadian Staff Band was involved in an interesting event in early March. On Friday, March 2, the band participated in Hannaford Street Silver Band’s annual Festival of Brass weekend

On Saturday, the CSB travelled to London Citadel, where we were hosted by London Citadel Band for a weekend of music-making with local corps forces.

Canadian Staff Band » Blog Archive » CSB Weekend in Toronto and London.

The Mountain Citadel Band (Hamilton, Ontario) held its sixth annual “Blazing Brass” concert on 10 February 2007. Special guests for the evening were the Peterborough Temple Band (Bandmaster Ron Reid) and cornet soloist Derek Lance of the New York Staff Band.

The Brass Crest ~ News: Blazing Brass VI at Mountain Citadel.

Personnel Update

The CSB is once again undergoing some changes in personnel, made necessary by Jim McArthur’s sudden departure in January. Jim came into the band on euphonium in 2003 and since that time has made a superb contribution to the band’s ministry. He will be missed.

Replacing Jim on euphonium is Michael Stayner, who is moving over from first trombone.

Coming into the band we welcome Andrew Poirier, a professional musician and well-known trombone soloist who is much in demand in Toronto and throughout Canada. To accommodate his professional engagements, and recognizing that certain commitments may take him away from the band’s ministry on occasion, Andrew has been appointed as an auxiliary member of the staff band for the remainder of the 2006-2007 season.

The CSB also officially welcomes Stuart Cornie as our new media technician. Actually, Stuart travelled with the band on our recent visit to California and was most helpful in preparing and operating multimedia presentations to enhance the band’s musical ministry. A longtime bandsman and former bandmaster, Stuart knows his way around computers and has worked extensively at creating and managing websites both for the Canada and Bermuda Territory, U.K. Territory and The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters. He is already proving to be a very worthwhile addition to the band.

Stuart will be assisted by Sarah Ewing, who originally came into the band on cornet in 2003. Unfortunately, she has not been able to play her instrument over the past year and a half due to ongoing dental work. Sarah will be staying on as assistant media technician and also to help with percussion as necessary.

Brasscast, the weekly brass band podcast from the USA is this week featuring the Greater New York Salvation Army Youth Band from the USA.

Musical numbers played by the bands include

* Let there be Praise by Barrie Gott 2:18 from their “The Triumph of Peace” CD
* The Last Spring by Edward Greig arranged by Ray Steadman-Allen from their “Classic Melodies” CD
* March Salvation’s Song by William Gordon from their Celebrate CD
* A Burt Mason Trombone Solo So Glad by William Himes from their Celebrate CD

These numbers are interspersed with banding snippets and news about brass bands.

Brass Band podcast from Britain Ireland USA Canada Australia New Zealand Japan Belgium.

Salvationist.ca » Episode 228: The Salvation Army Connection

On March 28 and 30, the CSB will be recording several tracks for an international recording project tentatively entitled “Windows of the World.” The compilation will bring together various staff music sections from around the world who will each contribute 10-12 minutes of newly-recorded music. When completed, proceeds from the sales of the 3 or 4-CD set will go directly to Salvation Army world mission projects undertaken by the various territories represented by the staff sections. For example, money from CDs sold in Canada and Bermuda will go directly to overseas mission work undertaken by our own territory.

Canadian Staff Band » International Recording Project

• Saturday 31st March and Sunday 1st April
  Woodstock
• Monday 2nd April
  Burlington
• Tuesday 3rd April
  Simcoe
• Wednesday 4th April
  Ottawa
• Thursday 5th April
  Morning concert
  Outside the Parliament Building, Ottawa
  Evening concert
  Peterborough 
• Good Friday 6th April
  Morning service
  Peterborough
• Evening 
  Etobicoke
• Saturday 7th April and Sunday 8th April
  Barrie

Arriving towards the end of March will be three more new releases.
Grimethorpe in Concert Volume III is the latest release from Grimethorpe Colliery Band and their first since reverting to their original name following a change of sponsor.
In November, Grimethorpe narrowly managed to complete a double hat-trick at the Brass in Concert Championship having been pipped at the post by Brighouse and Rastrick Band.
Our latest DVD includes the winning programme from Brighouse and Rastrick Band and also features the whole of the World of Brass in Concert featuring Grimethorpe Colliery Band and the sensational Brass Band of Central Florida. There was so much great material from this year’s event that we found it impossible to squeeze everything onto two discs, hence our decision to make it a triple DVD this time.
The own choice test piece section of the  European Brass Band Contest 2006 was won by Buy As You View Band playing Kenneth Downie’s  specially commissioned The Promised Land. They have now made a studio recording of this wonderful music along with some other brass band blockbusters. The Promised Land is surely an early contender for CD of the Year. The band has also reverted to its original name, Cory, as the three year sponsorship agreement with Buy As You View comes to an end.

The deadline for entries for the European Soloists Competition 2007 is Wednesday 28th February. The cornet solo chosen for the final round is Robert Redhead’s Life Abundant. Up to now, this solo has not been commercially available but we are pleased to announce that the original manuscript has now been originated and is available in our Judd Street Collection format.

During the course of next week our administration and warehouse operations will be re-locating to Wellingborough. This means that our offices are now closed until Monday 5th March although you will still be able to place your order at www.worldofbrass.com. Orders for UK and European countries within the European Union will be despatched from our London shop but the re-location will mean a delay in the despatch of orders to the rest of the world. We thank you in advance for your patience during this period.

Finally, we always try our best to help, so we’d love to hear from you if you think there’s anything we could do better. Please call our Mail Order department on their new number 01933 445445 from Monday 5th March, email us at worldofbrass@sp-s.co.uk or write to us at World of Brass, Salvationist Publishing and Supplies Ltd.
66 - 78 Denington Road, Wellingborough, Northants. NN8 2QH.

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