NEWS FEATURE
Celebration starts ISS 40th anniversary year REGENT HALL AN enthusiastic congregation greeted the International Staff Songsters, who marched into the hall to launch their 40th anniversary year as the International Staff Band played ‘Celebration’, reports Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts. The festival began with the anthem ‘Far Above All’ and ‘O Love’, before a prayer by ISB Executive Officer Major Noel Wright. Lieut-Colonel Norman Bearcroft, the group’s first leader, was not able to attend but featured in a video wishing the group a happy anniversary. The video also showed him at the 25th anniversary in 2005 explaining how they were formed and recalling the first song they had presented at their inaugural festival: ‘Jesus, The Very Thought Of Thee’. The song had begun with soloist Jacqui Proctor, and those moments were relived as a recording of her singing the first verse was played before the current ISS joined in. Staff Songster Leader Dorothy Nancekievill welcomed everyone and invited ISS alumni to stand and be greeted by the congregation. A special welcome was given to Canadian Staff Songster Leader Major Len Ballantine, a former leader of the ISS, who said: ‘Each leader has given something distinctive and important to the personality and the ministry of the International Staff Songsters.’ After the ISS had sung ‘Choral Symphony No 4 (Symphony Of Life)’ another former leader, Music Editorial Manager Andrew Blyth (THQ), interviewed Len about his time as leader from 1992 to 1998. Andrew acknowledged the other leaders, deputy leaders and pianists, along with everyone else who had given their talents to the group’s ministry through the years. The ISB contributed a number of pieces, including ‘Variations On Was Lebet’, ‘The
Andrew Blyth interviews Major Len Ballantine
Staff Songster Leader Dorothy Nancekievill conducts the ISS
Spirit In Me’ and Len Ballantine’s swing arrangement of ‘Go Down, Moses’, which Staff Bandmaster Stephen Cobb invited him to conduct. The ISS brought ‘Ubi Caritas’ and a vocal arrangement of the band piece ‘Light-Walk’, which included a flugelhorn solo by Staff Bandsman Richard Woodrow. A video presented the ISS 40 Virtual Choir in which a number of corps songster brigades, as well as the Melbourne Staff Songsters and the ISS, each sang lines of ‘Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory’ before they all joined together in the final verse. Andrew led the ISS in ‘Compelled By
Love’, for which he had written the music to Stephen Pearson’s words. In moments of reflection Len read from John 14, reminding the congregation of Jesus’ promise of peace, and the ISS sang the beautiful ‘Jesus Himself Drew Near’ unaccompanied. Before the evening’s finale Dorothy referred to the mission of the ISS and expressed her
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Each leader has given something distinctive and important to the personality and the ministry of the International Staff Songsters
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thanks to the songsters who ‘gladly give their time and effort to be part of this group and to sing for the Lord’. The ISS and the alumni were then led by Len in ‘Sing For Joy’ and ‘More Than Wonderful’. After a prayer from ISS Executive Officer Lieut-Colonel Jayne Roberts, the ISS and alumni sang John Rutter’s ‘The Lord Bless You And Keep You’ accompanied by the ISB. The ISB concluded an evening of celebration with Norman Bearcroft’s march ‘Temple 85’. Salvationist 1 February 2020
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