Making Music

The spiritual power of many

Their lives have spanned the 'golden era' of Salvation Army banding yet, writes Major DAVID WOODBURY, their legacy continues to inspire emerging musicians at Gold Coast City Temple

In March 1876, the Fry family introduced The Salvation Army to the brass band. Since then, brass bands have become an integral part of the worship and service in many corps.
By the early 20th century, many corps throughout Australia featured large brass bands, these groups reaching their high point in the latter part of that century. Often overlooked in this age of more contemporary music is the valuable contribution they have made, and still continue to make, to ministry and corps life.
Humanity has long been aware that there is power in a group of people uniting for a common goal. The storehouse of this power is not just in the physical, but also expresses itself in the spiritual.
A number of years ago, my wife and I attended the Sunday morning meeting at Gold Coast Temple Corps. Arriving a little late, we walked into the hall as the meeting was moving into the prayer segment. The band started singing:
"To feel thy power, to hear thy voice,
To share thy cross be all my choice."
The impact was palpable as a hush fell over the packed hall. The sense of the Holy Spirit’s presence was undeniable.
I had previously experienced the impact the singing of a large group could have on a meeting, but that was as a member of the band or the meeting leader. As I sat on the other side of the pulpit I became acutely aware of the spiritual power of many.
A few years later, we found ourselves appointed as corps officers to Gold Coast Temple. During our time there, through the service of the Gold Coast Temple band, we came to deeply appreciate the multi-faceted ministry of The Salvation Army brass band.

More than music
Perhaps largely unnoticed are the complementary influences that often accompany the presence of a large brass band in corps life. It provides a valuable contribution to the community in which the corps serves – the local Anzac Day march or the opening of a significant community building, for example. Such contributions enable the local corps to weave itself into the fabric of the community, providing pathways of service and ministry.
Sometimes accused of being performance-orientated and competitive, it needs to be understood that these are not necessarily negative aspects. They are part of being real and human, and encourage such groups to a higher plain where service to God becomes the pinnacle of humanity's response to him.
Salvation Army founder William Booth once said that singing is to the soul what wind is to the sails of the ship, and that robust and expressive singing was very much a hallmark of Salvation Army corps, more often than not accompanied by a brass band. However, at corps level a brass band provided much more than just the musical support necessary for outreach and worship.
Because most bands were mainly composed of men there was a strong sense of fellowship and bonding often not present in the male segments of church congregations. It was a characteristic often desired by other denominations. Inherent in the band was a depth of commitment that provided reliability, strength and a human resource that was often called upon to provide muscle as well as music.
Recently, in our retirement, my wife and I again attended the Sunday morning meeting at Gold Coast Temple Corps. We were heartened to see the band consisting of some 35 players, ranging in age from 14 to 93. The band contributes meaningfully to the ministry of the corps. As I reflected on the band I became aware that four of its members were well over 80 years of age and typified the essence of Salvation Army banding.

The late Max Percy 
Perhaps no one is more synonymous with a high standard of Salvation Army music than the late bandmaster Max Percy. Born into a Salvation Army officer family at Casino, NSW, Max played his first solo on the trombone at six years of age. His musical talent was obvious.
As Max accompanied his officer parents to a number of corps, participation in a variety of bands followed. As with many Salvation Army bandsmen, the advent of World War Two saw Max enlist in the military where he saw service in Papua New Guinea, serving with the 36th Battalion Band, and then back in Australia in the Eastern Command Band.
After the war, Max served in the Granville and Auburn corps bands. While at Auburn, where his parents were the corps officers, Max was appointed as the male voice party leader. It was here that his leadership and musical talents were to be come conspicuous.
A move to North Sydney Corps saw Max appointed as bandmaster and male voice party leader in 1951, serving in those positions until 1962. In 1963, Max took up the baton as bandmaster of Sydney Congress Hall band, then one of the premier Salvation Army bands in Australia. He served as its bandmaster from 1963 to 1975 and again from 1978 to 1980. From 1978 until 1980, Max also served as Territorial Band Inspector in the Australia Eastern Territory. His versatility as a musician also saw him involved in more contemporary music groups during these years.
Following his retirement from Sydney Congress Hall, Max and his wife, Norma, moved to the Gold Coast where Max served continuously as bandsmen for 33 years, often filling in as bandmaster when needed.

Allan Nutter
Allan Nutter, 92, was born in Stirchzey, England. He commenced his ministry as a bandsman, on cornet, at Kilmarnock 1 Corps in Scotland. A child of Salvation Army officers, there followed service with a number of bands across the UK during which time he moved onto the euphonium.
While serving in the Gorgie Band in Scotland, Allan remembers that band practice on Friday night went for a solid three hours with. There was an optional extra hour of rehearsal on Saturday prior to the open-air meeting.
With the outbreak of World War Two, Allan joined the Royal Air Force and saw service in Egypt where he played in the famous Cairo Red Shield Band.
After the war, Allan served with the Nelson Band in England, first on cornet then bass trombone and finally moving to BBb tuba which was to become his favoured instrument.
In 1960, Allan, with his wife, Edna, and family moved to Australia, but they returned to England in 1962. Two years later they were back in Australia where they lived first at Wangaratta, Bundaberg and then Wollongong where Allan served as a bandsman until 1985 when Edna and he moved to the Gold Coast. At the time of writing, Allan still played BBb tuba in the Gold Coast Temple band as well as participating two nights a week in hotel ministry.

Bill Scotney
Bill Scotney, also 92, was born in Wellington, New Zealand, into an illustrious Salvation Army musical family. His father, renowned Salvation Army composer Harold Scotney, wrote the march, The Wellingtonian, to celebrate Bill's birth. Bill recalls the significant influence of his father who taught him to love music, particularly brass band music.
In 1934, when Bill was 13, the family moved to Australia, becoming members of the Sydney Congress Hall Corps where his father was commissioned as bandmaster. Bill joined the young people’s band, in the cornet section, and then, in 1939, became a member of the Sydney Congress Hall band.
In 1941, he enlisted in the armed forces and served with the 18 Battalion before being transferred to the Eastern Command Band where he joined fellow Salvationists including Max Percy.
Bill was appointed as bandmaster at Sydney Congress Hallfrom 1955 to 1958. Retiring from Sydney Congress Hall band in 1979, Bill and his wife, Gladys, served at Inverell Corps for three years where Bill played euphonium. A move to the Gold Coast in 1982 saw Bill taking up the baton as bandmaster for the next three years before returning to Sydney Congress Hall where he was appointed to lead the No.2 band.
In retirement, Bill became a foundation member of the Sydney Veteran’s Band. He then returned to the Gold Coast and took up a position in the Temple band in 1993.
A severe hearing loss eventually forced his retirement from active banding, although at the time of writing, Bill was still helping out when required on EEb tuba.

Glen Simmonds 
Glen Simmonds, now 86, was just a few months old when his officer parents left for missionary service in South Africa. It was here that Glen was to experience his first taste of Salvation Army banding, as his father was the bandmaster of Fairview Corps in Johannesburg.
Returning with his parents to Australia in 1939, Glen became a member of the young people’s band at West End Corps in Brisbane.
Three years later, Glen transferred to Petersham Corps in Sydney where he served as a bandsman and songster until 1986, holding commissions as band secretary and corps sergeant major.
In 1945, Glen enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy and served in various shore establishments as well as a period on the HMAS Manoora where he assisted in repatriating allied troops from the South Pacific. During this time, Glen was able to experience the unique fellowship found among Salvation Army bandsmen and was a guest in bands at Hawthorn (Vic), Townsville (Qld) and West End (Qld).
In 1986, Glen and his wife, Noela, moved to Gosford where he became an integral member of the corps band, holding the position of band secretary. He was also a member of the Sydney Veteran’s Band from 1989 to 1997, after which Glen moved to the Gold Coast and became an active member of the cornet section. At the time of writing he was still serving in this ministry. 

Pillar of strength
In 2013, Gold Coast Temple band continues to honour the service of its veterans while at the same time embracing teenagers within its fellowship. Many of the positive characteristics of Salvation Army banding are still evident as the band provides a significant contribution to the life and ministry of the corps.
It may well be that in the demise of Salvation Army bands in recent years the Army has lost what was once a pillar of strength, both musically and spiritually. The stability, reliability and commitment required in a functioning Salvation Army brass band provided corps with a secure platform for effective fellowship and ministry.
While school and youth service bands seem to flourish and grow, many corps no longer know the power of many that a Salvation Army brass band provides.

* Major David Woodbury is a retired Salvation Army officer living in Sydney

IMAGES
01 Max Percy
02 Allan Nutter
03 Bill Scotney
04 Glen Simmonds
05 The Gold Coast Temple Band reflects the integration of young and old. Pictured are (back row, from left) Joel Walsh, Max Percy, Sean Bailey, Allan Nutter, Glen Simmonds and Sam McCorriston, and (front row, from left) Jesse and Joshua Whybird.