NY Staff Band - Annual Festival 2010

The New York Staff Band Annual festival was held at the Montclair, NJ Corps and this year featured the world renowned trombone player Joe Alessi, who is the Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic, together with vocal soloist Nicole Beckvermit from Kingston, NY who won the 2009 Star Search Competition. It was great to see a number of alumni in the audience, including former Staff Bandmasters Vernon Post and Derek Smith.

The concert commenced with the Stephen Bulla arrangement of Blessed Assurance, featuring Staff Bandsmen Andrew Garcia on flugel horn and Michael Baker on trumpet. Following a welcome and invocation from the Executive Officer, Lt. Colonel Maynor, the band brought the new march, Sweet Chariot, from the pen of Ray Steadman-Allen, an icon in the world of Salvation Army banding. Two additional items were featured before the first item from Joe Alessi, Kerygma by Steven Ponsford and the hymn arrangement, Be Thou My Vision, arranged by Bill Himes.

The first of two solos from virtuosi trombone soloist Joe Alessi was a piece entitled “Lincoln Tunnel Cabaret, written especially for him by Bramwell Tovey for a visit to England to feature with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. This difficult piece portrays in music a journey into New York City through the Lincoln Tunnel, with all the hustle and bustle of the city and the traffic. The Band is composed of gifted musicians who have a talent for singing as well as playing. Under the leadership of Dorothy Gates, the chorus brought a piece, “Spirit Divine”, words by the late Brindley Boone and music by Dorothy Gates.

Following the scripture reading, the first half of the program concluded with the Richard Phillips tone poem, Metamorphosis. Richard wrote the piece for the visit to the USA and Canada by the Household Troops Band in 2002. Using the chorus "In his time, he makes all things beautiful in his time" the music portrays peace and calm replacing turmoil and chaos. Muted cornets and trombones introduced the melody against basses in octaves, and it was then taken up by the horns and baritones. The ensuing passage, moving relentlessly forward, was suitably frenetic, with crisp rhythms and shot notes, and descending scales going right down to the basses. Cadenzas for cornet, horn, euphonium and Eb bass followed. A tranquil interlude featuring cornet, euphonium and flugel horn preceded the cornet runs which heralded the triumphant conclusion.

After a short intermission, the band commenced the second half of the program with another Richard Phillips composition, New York Profile, which was written especially for the band and premiered at the Profile Night series last month which featured Richard’s music and his incredible talent as a pianist. The congregation was then invited to participate in the singing of Onward Christian Soldiers arranged by Andrew Mackereth. What a delight followed as Nicole Beckvermit sang the Ray Farr arrangement of Over the Rainbow, accompanied by the band. Nicole, a soldier of the Kingston, NY Corps, was the 2009 Star Search winner, and is a freshman in college, majoring in education.

George Beverly Shea is no stranger to the Army and many will remember his participation via a video link at the Old Orchard Beach camp meetings last summer. It is hard to perceive that he is approaching his 102nd birthday. As a tribute the band played the song arrangement The Wonder of It All, arranged by Kenneth Smith. Joe Alessi returned to the platform for a second solo, Sambezi, by Philip Sparke, followed by a sensitive rendition of The Lamb from the pen of the talented composer Dorothy Gates as an encore. The work of Dorothy was again featured as the chorus sang Heaven complete with brass accompaniment.

The concert went by far too quickly and we were looking at the final work for the evening. The band gave a stunning performance of Excerpts from Finale from Symphony No. 4 by Tchaikovsky, and arranged by Bill Gordon followed by the usual closing pieces of Stars and Stripes Forever and Rock of Ages as a vocal benediction. It is interesting to note that these two pieces were first started by Derek Smith and Vernon Post who were present for the concert. What a great night of music making at the highest level.

- Captain Brian Clark
NYSB Public Relations Secretary