Introduction and Welcome - Nothing Do I Bring (Nothing But Thy Blood) - William Broughton Jr

Piece played here by The International Staff Band.

The Christ Of Calvary - words by Nathan Atkinson Aldersley. Music - Annie Laurie (arr. N Bearcroft)

Sung here by the International Staff Songsters on their recording 'The Spirit of the Army' this song is a great favourite amongst Salvationists and I have many fond memories of its association with friends now 'Gone to Glory'. I recall BM Jim Burn of Bedlington Corps singing this as a vocal solo in the open-air, tears streaming down his face, as they did so often when he was moved by the Holy Spirit. It was also the very first cornet solo ever played in public by my good friend Lloyd Bates or Portsmouth Citadel, whilst still a schoolboy at St. Luke's School in the city back in the 1920s. Lloyd played with the band for many years and, when I was Head of Music at the same school he came back for a school concert when well into his 80s and played the same tune again. Special memories indeed.

The Hill Of Calvary - Bramwell Coles

This 1945 selection was popular for many years although it has become less used in recent years as the songs used in the piece have fallen into disuse. I played this in my earliest days in the senior band at Tunstall Corps and have played it many times since. This beautiful rendition is by the Chalk Farm Band under the baton of Michael Clack.

The words of the final song, written by Ruby Knight are:

 

Down from the rainbow-circled throne

To dark Gethsemane

My Saviour came, my erring soul from sin to win

And died, He died for me.

 

Despised, rejected, yet He came

Reviling not again;

He bore for me reproach and poverty and shame

The thorns, the spear, the pain.

 

O Jesus, I can ne'er replay

The love Thou hast for me

O take my life, my love and all I have to give

And let me live for Thee

 

O Calvary, Calvary

Where Jesus died for me.

I love the place called Calvary

Where Jesus, Jesus died for me.

 

There is a Green Hill - words by Cecil Francis Alexander. Tune - Horsley

One of the most popular Easter hymns of all, sung here by The Sunbury Junior Singers under the direction fo Major Joy Webb.

Gethsemane - words by Juno Hollyhock. Music by Marc Harry

I wrote a 'Gethsemane Vigil' for the Church of England back in the 1990s with words by Fr Martin Morgan and Juno Hollyhock (YMCA). Over the years it has grown into a full Musical/Song-Cycle and I have performed it many times including in Portsmouth, Southampton and,  last week on Palm Sunday, at Lincoln Citadel. On that occasion, my son Lewis sang this song for the first time. It represents Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to His arrest, asking "Take this cup from me, O Lord," but being obedient to death, knowing it was "the only way" God's will could be fulfilled.

Lewis has kindly recorded this version of the song specially for this podcast. A full CD and DVD of 'Gethsemane' is planned for recording and release in 2016.

Ave Verum (Love Divine) - Mozart arr. Albert Jakeway

Mozart's wonderful music played here by The Household Troops Band (John Mott)

I Can Think Of Him - words and music Joy Webb

This song has been much discussed during the last week on the Going to the Army Facebook page. First published in the October 1973 edition of 'The Musical Salvationist' and later in Gems 8 it has become a real favourite, albeit, again, another that has become rather forgotten in recent times. I find it a real tragedy that we Salvationists allow this to happen to what is, relatively speaking, new music.

If one of the ways God uses GttA is to bring music like this back into popular use I shall be thrilled.

This unaccompanied version is by Portsmouth Citadel Songsters.

The Old Rugged Cross - Stennard arr. Erik Leidzen

This song - of all those associated with The Salvation Army, surely the most requested - is, of course not a SA song at all but one of those we have, most certainly, 'made our own' through the years. This beautiful arrangement by Erik Leidzen is featured here by trombonist Gordon Hill with the International Staff Band from the LP 'Brass Impact'

For God So Loved the World - John ch 3. Music by Michael Babb

I was privileged to sing at the Royal Albert Hall Songster Leader's Councils Festival back in 1987, fpor which this lovely arrangement was composed as part of a larger, 3 movement piece called 'Words of Eternal Life'. The LP released from that event was, of course, titled 'Going to the Army'.

Again, I feel we often overlook this type of piece much too quickly in the Army - to me this is at least as good as the famous setting by John Stainer (from 'The Crucifixion') yet it would be my guess that, for many listeners, this might be the first time they have ever heard it. Shame on us if that is so!

When I Survey - words Isaac Watts. Tune by H Pfeil

Isaac Watts hymn is used in all Christian churches right through the world and, rightly so, has become one of the most well known hymns in all our liturgy.  This arrangement, sung here once more by Chalk Farm Band, is to a Welsh hymn tune and I was glad to use this for many years with Portsmouth Citadel Band when I was privileged to look after the band singing. Players memorised their parts and we could sing it in the open air without music - and did so, often, to great effect.

  To Thy Cross I Come, Lord  - words Frederick Fry  music by Ivor Bosanko

This gorgeous setting of words well-known since the earliest days of The Salvation Army was published in 1992 and is sung here by Kaytie Harding who, at the time was a 19-year-old songster in the corps. Kaytie went on to feature for many years as a soloist with the International Staff Songsters and now works as a voice coach and choral director with her own company 'Voice From the Coalshed' in Brighton. She has made a new CD of songs this year with BM Howard Evans on piano, 'Summer Suns' which is available from the website  http://voicefromthecoalshed.co.uk/

Love's Immortal Token - Charles Skinner

It was my great privilege as a young teenager to spend a week on holiday with Col. Charles Skinner at one of the Salvation Army's holiday homes - I believe it was in Broadstairs, Kent. Several times he took me, as a keen young SA musician, under his wing that week, making me promise him I'd make the study of harmony a priority - which, of course, I did. Many of his pieces are still used today and this setting of the hymn tune we know as 'Healing Stream' is one of those, although this vintage recording is taken from an old 78 RPM record by the ISB.

Before the Cross - words Peter M Cooke. music by Edward Gregson

The name of Edward Gregson is very well known indeed in brass band circles, having composed a lot of great music for that movement over the last 40 years - including the most recent Test Piece for the National Finals at the RAH. However, Edwards roots are in the Army, being the son of officer parents and this lovely song was one of his very first published pieces, back in 1965. Rarely played or sung for many years (notleast because the piano accompaniment is in 5 flats!) it was recorded by Portsmouth Songsters in 1995 and has recently been heard a little more due to its use by The King's Singers who have done so much to revive many SA songs through their three 'Choral Essays' CDs (which are, of course, available from SP&S or World of Brass). The vocal soloist in verse 2 was Elizabeth Bird, whose daughter Yvonne was the piano accompanist on the solo by Kaytie Harding we heard earlier.

By The Way of The Cross - words and music by Thomas D Ferguson

Although not a Salvation Army composition this songs was published by the SA twice - in 1937 and again in 1957 as a male voice arrangement, as we hear here. Sung to great effect for many years by the ISB Male Chorus and recorded by them on a 78 record this version is sung by Hendon Band on a weekend visit to Tunstall in 1977.

As a Corps Pianist who can play quite naturally 'by ear' I usually pride myself on being able to accommodate most requests by meeting leaders but I have to admit to struggling recently when a meeting leader wanted to use this but did not know the melody from the 'top tenor part' and, between us, I'm afraid we managed to let the song down!

He Took My Place - anon

The composer and author of this old gospel song is/are unknown yet it has travelled the world and been used on many occasions to help portray the truth of Jesus' atoning sacrifice. Sung here by W Binns with the Hendon Songsters from a best-selling LP of the 1970s "The Salvation Army By Request" the song comes afresh to us once more.

Were You There/I Was There

This is a special piece I have made for this podcast using two more old Regal Zonophone 78 RPM records from the 1950s. On one, the ISB Male Chorus sing the familiar old Negro Spiritual and, later, General Albert Orsborn used that record to illustrate his recorded Easter talk. On a 78 record there was only time for a fragment of the original ISB song to be used on the General's record but here, we can hear both - in a fuller version - for the first time. 

I, for one, am fascinated to hear the voice of an Army General who was Promoted Glory while I was just a very young boy - yet a man whose songs have meant so much to me right through my life, as they have, of course, to so many Salvationists.

Reflections in Nature by Robert Redhead

Earlier in April I put together a video in response to a request from a former Salvationist now living in the USA, using Catherine Baird's wonderful song "When Jesus Looked o'er Galilee". I hadn't properly realised that the rest of the Christian Church does not have this gem of a song in their hymnals - the privilege we have in the Army of having songs like this is such a great one, I'm sure we don't always appreciate it!

While the song imagines how Jesus may have thought as He gazed over the sea so close to His home and Robert Redhead's beautiful arrangement of Ernst Fewster's tune adds even more to that experience. The piece is played here by the Canadian Staff Band.

Even on Good Friday we should never forget:

 "But when the winds triumphantly

Swept from the open plain

The Master surely heard the song:

The Lord shall live again!"