Origins

The International Staff Band of the Salvation Army
Conductor: Stephen Cobb
SP&S: SPS 202 CD
Total Playing Time: CD1: 56.38; CD2: 63.41

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It was in 1992 that the momentous decision was made to make available to all bands the extensive library of music that until ten had been the exclusive prerogative of bands within The Salvation Army. 

Although there had been the odd instance prior to that date of "outside" bands performing and even broadcasting Salvation Army repertoire it was generally the case of music being obtained unofficially, but after that date it was open season.  This is not to say, however, that there had not already been considerable input from Salvationists, past and present, into the world of the brass band contest, as the current set of two cds aims to show, drawing together one piece from each of twelve composers who have had works used for contest purposes, as well as writing for The Salvation Army.  It is a handsomely presented project, much care has been lavished on it, with two booklets, one with information on the recording, performers and the pieces included, whilst the second provides a brief biography of each of the composers, together with a listing of some of their works which have been used in major contests.  Apart from the introductory notes, which come from the bandmaster himself, the remainder is from the pen of Doctor Ronald W Holz, who writes in his familiar scholarly yet very approachable style.

With any such project, there will be those who will question the selection of the particular pieces, and there is the inevitable duplication of a couple of works which have appeared on other recent recordings.  Although most of the items have been newly-recorded, three tracks are taken from previous ISB releases, a fact which is shown clearly in the documentation (including the outside of the packaging), and which has also commendably been included in corresponding adverts in the banding press.

The first disc opens with "The Eternal Presence" by Eric Ball, inspired by Psalm 139 and considered by the composer to be the equal of "Resurgam".  The sleeve notes point out that the original manuscript included an alternative ending, a triumphant fortissimo, yet the quiet close seems much more appropriate.  Stephen Cobb and the band give a very expressive rendition, bringing out the rhapsodic elements more than is sometimes the case, with effective use of rubato. 

"My strength, my tower" was intended as a companion piece to Dean Goffin's "Rhapsody in Brass", selected for the 1949 British Open Brass Band Championships.  Apparently questions were asked within the Salvation Army when it was realised that Dean Goffin was a Salvationist, questioning why he was not writing for the Army, only for it to be revealed that there were a number of pieces that had already been submitted to the Music Board which were gathering dust on the shelf!  With the solo passages for cornet and euphonium it calls for able performers to do it justice – many may recall Enfield's fine lp version – and the sensitive playing of Kevin Ashman and Derick Kane fits the bill perfectly.  The last variation is taken at a good pace, but the band carries it off well, never allowing it to become a scramble.

Erik Leidzen's "None other name" was written for the New York Staff Band's tour of England in 1960, and at one stage it seemed to be the first choice for major Salvation Army occasions, often appearing as a massed band item, which tended to underplay the subtleties of the writing.  It was one of Leidzen's later compositions, written during a period of rapprochement with the Salvation Army following some years away, and calls for close attention to dynamics, with various sections of the band having their own ebb and flow which all contribute to the overall effect. 

Edward Gregson's compositions for The Salvation Army date from the start of his career, including the "Symphonic Rhapsody for Euphonium and Band", currently under-going something of a revival, and the often under-rated march "Chalk Farm No 2".  He wrote "Variations on Laudate Dominum" for the 1976 tour of Britain by the London (Ontario) Citadel Band, conducted by his brother Bramwell.  The theme itself does not appear in full until the end, and the variations vary from the energetic – with the pounding quavers split between the two halves of the band, and here sounding more balanced than is sometimes the case – to the lyrical, with delicate contributions from Kevin Ashman, Paul Sharman, Derick Kane and Michael Calland all deserving of mention.  The reading is carefully paced and there is a good building up of tension before the final statement of the theme, which is kept tightly under control, making the most of the final bars, complete with the trombones' abrasive contribution.

Canadian Morley Calvert has not written prolifically for brass, but his oeuvre includes works of high quality, including the meditation "For our transgressions" and the Christmas suite "The Festive Season".  His "Canadian Folk Song Suite", written to mark the Canadian Centennial in 1967, takes three tunes from the east of Canada, two from Quebec and one from Newfoundland, the sublime "She's like the swallow".  The first movement is an adaptation from a brass quintet, "Suite from the Monteregian Hills", whilst the finale is marked by a gradual crescendo that keeps all sections of the band on their toes, and that includes rhythmical clapping from part of the band. 

Wilfred Heaton was a great hoarder, and often returned to works written earlier and either abandoned or forgotten, as has been seen in the fine reconstructions of unknown works undertaken by Paul Hindmarsh.  The first version of "Celestial Prospect" dates from the late 1940s but, although played a little at that stage, including performances by the Rosehill Band, it was not until 1986 that it took on its final form, when Heaton received a request for a piece for the New York Staff Band.  It was chosen as the test piece for the Second Section Regionals in 2003 and displays much of the quirkiness and subtleties found in his other writing.  The performance here is taken from "The Heaton Collection" (2002) with the central section being particularly effective.

Ray Steadman-Allen has written prolifically for The Salvation Army, as well as various works for other combinations since his retirement as a Salvation Army officer.  While a case could be made for other works that could have been included – "Lord of the Sea" or "The Warrior Psalm" have been suggested – it is perhaps understandable that the one chosen is "Victorian Snapshots: On Ratcliff Highway".  It certainly provides a contrast with the items on the first disc, with its deliberate juxtaposing of opposing themes, often in widely diverse keys, as the composer depicts the progress of the Salvation Army band through the streets of East London, surrounded by street vendors, casual onlookers and those out to disrupt their march.  It caused quite a stir when first performed at the 1978 International Congress in London, and the current reading by the band, as at this year's Hendon Highlights festival, is more subtle than some, bringing out the Ivesian character of the work, but allowing the sections to blend in with each other rather than some of the more abrasive renditions around.  The themes thus emerge in turn from the background, creating an impressionistic effect, with the final theme of "We'll be heroes" eventually rising in triumph.  The contributions from the trombones and bass section are particularly noteworthy, but all sections and individuals hold their nerve and play their part effectively.

James Curnow is one of the leading figures in the wind band scene in the USA, with over four hundred compositions to his name for various forces.  One of the first of his works for brass to gain wide recognition was "Psalm 100", also sometimes known as "Psalm of praise", which was programmed by Yorkshire Imperial Metals Band under Ray Farr, amongst others.  "The Great Salvation War" dates from 1980, and has previously been recorded by the ISB (on the lp of that name, conducted by Ray Bowes).  The bustling opening is based round the tune "Stand like the brave", although the composer initially uses snatches of the melody, much as at the start of "Psalm 100", before the tune is heard in full.  The quiet central section features "In thee, O lord, do I put my trust", whilst the final march, with a seemingly relentless tread underlying the music, uses the tune "Rescue the perishing".  The whole piece has a certain transatlantic open-ness to the textures, reminiscent at times of Copland, although one misses somewhat the brighter sound often produced by American cornet sections.

Peter Graham's "Renaissance" was written as a sequel to the popular "Shine as the Light", and also includes one of Joy Webb's songs, this time "Come into our world".  The recording is taken from the 2000 disc of the same name, so there is the chance to hear the inimitable David Daws in the cornet solo.  The other tunes referred to are "St Francis" and "Laudes Domini", and these are woven into a symphonic framework, producing an exciting climax, if perhaps without quite the same impact as its predecessor.  One wonders whether "Blazon" or "Sinfonietta – the Dawning" might have been more appropriate, but as was pointed out previously, decisions had to be made, and it may have been felt that "Renaissance" provided more of a contrast with the other composer's contributions.

Robert Redhead, who was in charge of the Music Editorial Department when the aforementioned changes in the availability of music took place, also broke new ground when, in 1996, he became the first active Salvation Army officer to write a test piece for a National Finals with "Isaiah 40", Ray Steadman-Allen having written "Seascapes" (1988) once he had entered retirement.  His "Quintessence" has also been used for contest purposes, and the work included here, "Corpus Christi", was selected for the "B" section of the 2000 European Championships in Birmingham.  On that occasion, the sextet for the basses and euphoniums proved a stumbling block for all the bands bar the winners, Brass Band Normandie from France, but here there is the opportunity for the ISB players to show how musical it can be made to sound.  Focusing on the role of the church and its members as the Body of Christ there are references to the choruses "Give thanks", "Bind us together Lord" – good work by the horn section - and the spiritual "Dry bones", with some intricate rhythms which the players take in their stride.  The recording is taken from "Trumpet Call" (1995) and, good as it is, one cannot help wishing they had included one of the live recordings of the works, that seem to have that bit more excitement and impact, either from the four staff band programme "International Brass Spectacular" or the premiere performance at the Royal Albert Hall, where the impact of the broad opening chord left an impression that will never be forgotten.

Kevin Norbury's "Rhapsody on a theme by Purcell" was given its premiere by the ISB at the RNCM Festival of Brass in January 2005, and they also performed it at the Gospel Arts Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in June.  Based on the tune from "Abdelazer" which Purcell used for his set of variations commonly known as "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" it is a work that reveals more with repeated hearings, with the composer paying tribute to Britten at times, whilst also incorporating elements of Purcell's writing.  The opening uses the dotted rhythms favoured by Purcell, but the percussion writing echoes Britten's variations, as does the statement of the melody by the trombones.  It is without doubt something of a tour de force, calling for clean and precise playing from all sections of the band, particularly in the fugato section where once again the lower half of the band show their mettle.  The waltz-like section, similar to that in the same composer's "Variations on Maccabeus", flows smoothly, whilst the brighter sections display some excellent articulation, and some fine work on xylophone.

The final item comes from the pen of Kenneth Downie, composer of "Music from Kantara" and "St Magnus", but possibly even better known for his well-crafted devotional pieces such as "In perfect peace".  "Rejoice, the Lord is King" is a series of variations on Handel's tune "Gopsal", and was written for the gala concert Black Dyke and the ISB presented following the 2001 National Brass Band Championships.  It is a complex work, although accessible to the listener as elements of the tune are ever-present, but there are a couple of instances where the playing seems a little tired, with some shrillness at the upper end.  This detracts a little from the performance, but the majesty of the music still comes through, with the triumphant coronation depicted in the closing bars.

For anyone wishing to explore further the works written by Salvationist composers whose music they have previously only encountered on the concert stage this project will be invaluable.  For those already familiar with most of the works, it represents an opportunity to hear them afresh, together with the premiere recording of the Kevin Norbury "Rhapsody" and a most insightful "On Ratcliff Highway".  With exemplary presentation and documentation this project is a credit to all involved.

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