Instruments of encouragement: Learning brass with The Salvation Army

We recently celebrated 100 years of young people’s band ministry and new young people continue to sign up to learn. The current group, called First Things First, is a Friday-night community initiative started in 2015 to open brass learning up to neighbourhood children. Every week, the young people share in devotions and learn what it means to use musical gifts for God. Through consistent, committed local leadership, this group has flourished and currently has 10 members, who have participated in summer and Christmas concerts.

The young people’s band serves as an entry point into the life of the corps for many. Two members who began in 2015 are still actively involved, with one recently becoming an adherent and another joining the senior band. Asked why young people would choose to give up a Friday night to learn a brass instrument Henry Crowther, 18, said: ‘It’s time out for me – therapy – a time to relax and rest from my studies.’

The group has also been a place where local leaders have developed. The leader who started First Things First is now songster leader.

By Major Gavin Friday

The group developed in the past 18 months as our young people enthusiastically requested to learn brass and drums. With help from local authority tutors and corps band members, we’ve recently increased the number of learners and the tuition they receive at each practice.

During the school holidays, we held a Music Makers Day concentrating on theory and learning new music to allow the learners to become more confident in their abilities. This was followed by food chosen by the learners and some games, which we all had great fun with. We plan to repeat this each holiday time!

The learners and our senior band play at the beginning of each service and during tithes and offerings each week. This allows the corps to enthusiastically support them and see their progress.

New learner Isaac is excited to learn cornet and hopes to learn more instruments eventually. Ibrahim says playing tuba complements his interest in performing arts. He enjoys using his new skill to worship God and loves the friendship the learners share.

By Ann Humes

The Bramley Youth Brass Band is a collaborative outreach venture with Bramley Copper Beech Hub and Leeds Central Corps. I’m the musical lead while Hannah Cribbin and Gen Shaw lead the team of helpers, including Bandmaster Major Stuart Barker (Leeds Central) and volunteers from the community.

We have 16 kids, most of whom have been with the band since it began in 2022. The players come from in and around the Bramley community, with many not having had contact with The Salvation Army before this. None had played a brass instrument before, and they have developed their skills in the weekly Tuesday rehearsals.

The band started as an investment in the youth of the area to help tackle issues with disengagement, and they were fortunate to be able to use instruments from Bradford Orchard that were no longer needed.

As the band has grown and improved, it has begun performing more publicly and raising its profile as ‘Bramley’s Brass Band’. Children from the band have engaged with the youth programmes at Copper Beech and attended events at the hub, and the members are accessing instrument learning that they otherwise might not have.

Joash, 11, recently switched to playing tuba, which he loves. His eight-year-old sister, Eden, loves learning in a group and feels free to make mistakes and be supported. Joseph, aged 8, enjoys the music and has been inspired to sit his grade 1 cornet exam this term!

By Joelle Braithwaite

The learner group has been running in various forms since 2018. We currently have at least 15 kids come together on Sundays after the meeting and Kids Church, with a good spread on cornet, tenor horn, trombone and baritone. Our little ones join in on pBuzz (pictured left) as they like to be part of the action.

The corps love seeing the kids learn and are really encouraging. Senior band members help out periodically – often releasing sticky valves – while parents sit and chat in the pews.

The learners play once a term in meetings and feature at the annual youth celebration weekend. Learning gives the kids another aspect of belonging in the corps, it builds musical skills often not accessible in school and it uses an important aspect of Army history in the modern era.

Dom, 10, gets to use his drumming and cornet skills – not simultaneously! Edie, 10, says learning helps ‘strengthen the mind’ and she enjoys playing alongside friends. James, 8, loves using his trombone slide.

By Joelle Braithwaite

The brass learner group began in September 2023. Following a period of change following the Covid-19 pandemic, many of the young people’s activities at the corps had ceased, and there was a real desire to re-establish these so we could once again involve the young people within their church. Our main aims are to develop their spiritual, emotional, physical, mental and social wellbeing, and to develop their musical skills so that they may participate in worship through music.

They’ve developed a lovely bond and friendship, often arriving early to socialise, and have invited friends to events. These have included an evening watching the England football team with pizza and ice-cream, and a games evening with, yes, more pizza!

The Thursday evening group is led by Young People’s Band Leader Sarah Stanley and International Staff Bandsman Martin Blessett, with support from Bandmaster Stephen Jones.

Reuben, 12, says: ‘Sarah and Martin are encouraging to us!’ Caleb, 10, says: ‘It’s always good to learn a new instrument, and Sarah and Martin are great teachers!’

The group regularly perform and are often supported by the senior band to boost their confidence. It’s a wonderful privilege to nurture these children not only in their musical journeys, but also in their spirituality and faith.

By Sarah Stanley

When we were blessed by an influx of new members from overseas, Corps Treasurer Rosalind Featherstone was the inspiration behind starting a brass learner group.

‘Salisbury has a great tradition of brass bands, going back to the Fry family,’ she explains. ‘So it seemed right to help more people become involved with music making.

Sisters Martina and Shilling Masih are Salvationists from India. In their home territory, there aren’t many brass bands, so they were grateful for the opportunity to learn a new skill.

‘It’s been good to learn to play as part of a learner group with other people,’ says Martina. ‘We encourage one another, and knowing we’re all at the same stage of development is helpful!’

Since the group started just over a year ago, two children have also been inspired to join.

By Captain Martin Davison

Brass Roots began in September 2021, when our band sought to reach out following the Covid-19 pandemic. Research was done, and it was felt an after-school activity would be best. Parents and guardians were encouraged to stay and use our coffee shop facilities, and sessions were promoted by mini sextet concerts in schools. This is an ongoing band ministry, and we’re fortunate to have eight team members supporting.

The children meet for whole group and small group tuition, with a thought using Kids Alive!, jokes from our joke jar and prayers from our prayer jar. A dozen children regularly attend, and they play at our First Sunday meetings, bringing great encouragement to all.

‘Out of all the activities I do at the Army,’ says one team member, ‘it’s the one I look forward to most!’

By Brian Johnson

The group began last autumn, an answer to prayer. The band has a good reputation, and we thought it nice to train up a new generation. It never felt the right time, yet a young person asked if they could learn and invite their friends. After much prayer, we felt the nudge from God and began to look at the practicalities.

The group is open to those in the community aged eight and over. Though we have limited places, regular learners turn up each Monday afternoon ready to learn an instrument. Many have never played, and some have been learning to read music in these sessions. They’re now working through the First Things First series and played ‘Jingle Bells’ at the corps carol service.

Ian likes playing cornet really loud and is building his confidence.

Joni enjoys tenor horn – because not many people play it – and understands that learning can be hard but is worth doing.

Isla finds playing brass fun, including the ‘flapping’ we do when exploring music theory.

Julie – a corps member and volunteer who is also learning alongside the young people – started learning cornet after being inspired by the young people and now plays in the learner band.

By Lieutenant Faith Thompson

Formed approximately three years ago, we wanted to offer something different to our community. This idea was then ignited by a Salvationist article about an Australian corps that offered ‘no strings attached’ brass lessons to children, which resulted in two young people’s bands! As often as possible, we now combine our brass learner group with our young people’s band for special events.

Two of our learners are brought to the group by their grandparents. The grandmother has now joined the senior band, and the grandfather attends the morning meeting from time to time. The father of another learner regularly attends the morning meeting and a midweek prayer meeting. The members of the group are very happy with how they are progressing, and our Tuesday sessions are productive. We’re now looking at the idea of starting a new group in the summer, promoting it as A Summer Challenge!

By Colin Fisher