Day 1 – Wednesday, March 22, 2023 – Sale
The New York Staff Band has had a great journey to the UK, landing safely in London on Tuesday evening in an attempt to get a bit of rest after a busy Future All Stars weekend back in NY. The best part was being able to indulge in a full English breakfast the next morning, complete with proper bacon!
We loaded the bus along with our guide for the week, Richard Woodrow (ISB flugel and Norwich Corps BM) and headed north to the Manchester area, specifically the Sale Corps. We were greeted by our good friend and corps bandmaster, Jonathan Evans and quickly set up ready for a much needed warm up! After a lovely roast chicken dinner put on by several corps helpers, the band did some final preparations before opening the doors for the sold out crowd that had already gathered. There was a buzz in the hall and anticipation from both the band and audience.
The bands programming for most of the trip consists of more traditional festival repertoire in the first half and is all music written exclusively for the NYSB. The audience was receptive to the mostly new music, even though it may have been unfamiliar to them, especially the world premiere of Brenton Broadstock’s ‘ Prayers and Tribulations’. This is a significant and intense piece of music written in response the COVID 19 pandemic the whole world suffered through.
The second half of the program is where things really took off as the band played its UK premiere of ‘The Creation Story.’ Using visual media, a live narrator and arrangements of popular Christian and secular songs in addition to hymns of the church, the entire Genesis account is told, ending in a rousing rendition of ‘How Great Thou Art’ in which the audience is encouraged to sing along in a final reprise. It’s not often that a brass band concert becomes a worship experience but the Holy Spirit was present and people were visibly moved.
With speaking to the corps officer following the festival, she mentioned that a new couple from the community attended the corps for the first time, were changed by what they experienced and were eager to sign up with the SA as soon as possible!
A successful first day, but eager to see what the Lord has in store for the rest of the tour.
Day 2 – Thursday, March 23, 2023 – Birmingham
After a good night of rest at the Manchester Salford Quays (pronounced keys) Travelodge, a bandsman couldn’t say no to a proper English breakfast before a bus ride to the Stafford Grammar School where the band was to take part in a workshop/rehearsal with the school concert band, followed by a concert for the school students. But first, a quick stop for a band photo at Old Trafford Stadium, the home of Manchester United Football Club.
The NYSB was hosted at the Stafford Grammar School by the Director of Music, and the ISB’s Principal Cornet player, Gavin Lamplough. We shared in a delightful spread of quiche, sausage rolls, cakes, and more. After lunch we had the privilege of joining the school concert band in rehearsing “Dance Like David” – Mackereth, “Mid All the Traffic” – Ballantine, and “Victory – Graham from Cry of the Celts, all led by Bandmaster Derek Lance. It’s always meaningful to play alongside young people, not only to inspire and share in some of our experiences, but also as a reminder of where each of us started in our own musical journey.
For the concert portion of the school visit, the NYSB presented:
New York, New York
The Risen King
Valero
A La Manera
Under the sea
Sky Full of Stars
David’s Dance
Stars and Stripes Forever
After the school concert, we were nestled in on the bus (thanks to our driver Tony!!) for a rest and a ride to Birmingham for our evening concert. We sound checked and were treated to a delicious dinner served up by Majors Allman along with some of the corps band and songsters, complete with a small gift of the iconic Cadburys Chocolate which is based in Birmingham.
The first half of the concert program consisted of:
Worship the King (Harper)
Hear the Call (Venables)
Congregational Song: O Church Arise (Himes)
Prayers and Tribulations (Broadstock)
At the Master’s Feet (Leidzen)
Band Chorus: I’m in His Hands
Fearless (Wainwright)
A moving moment was the band’s singing of “I’m in His Hands” before the performance of “Fearless”. Fearless is based on two songs, “Soldier’s Hymn” and “I’m In His Hands”.
I’m in His hands, I’m in His hands
Whatever the future holds
I’m in His hands.
The days I cannot see
have all been planned for me;
His way is best
You see, I’m in His hands
The second half of the program kicked off with BM Gavin Lamplough taking the band through “The Ambassadors” (Graham), followed by Bandmaster Derek Lance leading an inspirational and stirring performance of “The Creation Story”. The band brought their traditional vocal benediction of “Rock of Ages” to close out the program.
Day 3 – March 24, 2023 – Norwich
The New York Staff Band arrived at the Norwich corps around 4 in the afternoon after a late morning followed by a 3 hour bus ride. The corps was unique in that it seemed to be made of several buildings spanning the block all connecting on the inside. The sanctuary featured a stage with several tiers. We were served dinner before getting ready for the concert.
At 7:30, we marched onto the stage to begin our performance. The crowd seemed to be the most responsive so far, especially considering their reception to “Creation”. Individuals were clapping, laughing, and even dancing to various pieces. It all culminated in a powerful performance of “How Great” ending with the crowd on their feet in praise of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. God worked through us to bring an effective time of praise to the people of Norwich. We look forward to the remaining stops on our UK tour and pray God continues to use us to spread his love.
Day 4 – March 25, 2023 – Regent Hall
Following three wonderful days of ministry in Sale, Birmingham, and Norwich, the band was off to Regent Hall full of anticipation for the day’s events. As was with the other aforementioned Corps, we were greeted with a warm welcome; this time by our compatriots, the International Staff Band. After unpacking our gear, we jumped right into a massed band rehearsal with the ISB before having separate sound checks. Dinner followed, which was a great time for renewing old friendships, making some new ones, and enjoying each other’s company around the table.
There was a buzz of excitement and anticipation as the doors opened and the eager audience began piling in to find their seats. Under the direction of Dr. Stephen Cobb, the ISB marched the NYSB in with Erik Leidzen’s “The Invincible Army,” which was met with rousing applause. The NYSB began their standalone portion of the concert with stirring renditions of Philip Harper’s “Worship the King” and Marcus Venables’s “Hear the Call,” effectively setting the stone for what was going to be a memorable night. Steve went on to expound upon the unique relationship between the two flagship SA bands that goes back many decades. NYSB B/M Derek Lance then invited the audience to join the band in worship as they opted to present “The Creation Story,” a change in program led by the moving of the Holy Spirit. It was an absolute joy seeing the audience participate in worship with the band by dancing and clapping along, culminating in the entire room standing & singing along to “How Great Thou art.”
Following the first interval, the ISB took the stage and demonstrated through the fine handling in Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Folk Festival” (arranged for band by Major Martin Cordner) that they were in great form as well and were ready to contribute to the worshipful concert in their own way. This was followed by a special treat: “The Living God” by the NYSB’s own composer-in-residence, Dr. Dorothy Gates. This piece is hauntingly beautiful and was handled well by the UK-native band. Andrew Wainwright is no stranger to brass banding and his recent major work “Horizon: The Promise of the Lord,” was presented well by the ISB, for whom it was written. Richard Woodrow was the only featured soloist for the ISB’s portion of the concert and he presented Eric Whitacre’s “Seal Lullaby” with apparent ease. The finale to this segment was a personal favorite to this reviewer and, undoubtedly, many more in attendance: Peter Graham’s “Renaissance.” The words of Joy Webb that lay at the core of the major work, “Come into our world,” remain as poignant as ever in this post-COVID world, and a stirring, introspective, and exciting performance was made.
The NYSB & ISB have not shared the stage together since the 2011 concert at Cadogan Hall, so it was fitting to have a massed band segment to the program. Paul Sharman’s toe-tapping “A la manera” featured a number of soloists and the percussion section, while “The Ambassadors” was conducted by composer Peter Graham himself! NYSB Executive Officer Lt. Colonel Kathy Steele read from Psalm 23 and shared some thoughts on our need for comfort and security, which can only truly be found in the Lord. There was no better ending to this night of worship than the timeless meditation “My Comfort and Strength,” partly due to composer Brian Bowen’s iconic history with both bands and his recent Promotion to Glory.
What a God-honoring evening of music-making this was! May the Lord bless the ISB and the NYSB for the days to come.
Day 5 – March 26, 2023 – William Booth College with the ISB & ISS
The final day of the tour was spent in worship with the ISB and ISS at the iconic William Booth College in London but also included lunchtime concerts by each group followed by a final festival of music on the Sunday afternoon.
The NYSB used much of the same repertoire from the tour and once again presented CREATION during the Sunday morning worship time. This was once again, a powerful presentation but other highlights that morning included Marcus Venables, ‘Our Consecration’ and the ISS surrounding the congregation whilst singing their traditional benediction ‘The Lord Bless You and Keep You’.
It was a fitting and poignant end to a successful tour that we pray was God honoring and will leave a lasting impact on those present to witness the ministry of the New York Staff Band.
