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Current Bandmaster - Ian Browning		The Salvation Army Risca Band, under the leadership of Bandmaster Ian Browning, has been providing its music ministry to a diverse audience for over 25 years. Playing to a repertoire of religious, classical, popular and secular music, the band is constantly in demand. Recent venues include the Wales Millennium Centre and the National Eisteddfod. The band provides music for worship every Sunday at the corps. Previous leadership of the band - 1982 - Bandmaster Norman Cassells 1985 - Songster Leader Ralph Pearce (pro-tem) 1986 - Bandmaster John Gregory 1994 - Bandmaster Ian Browning The band has the simple, yet demanding, mission of '...telling others...' Bandmaster Ian Browning is assisted by: Deputy: Phil Hawkins Secretary: Claire Durrant Colour Sergeant: Dean Brill Rehearsals take place on Thursdays at 7.45pm. Come along and listen sometime!
Risca Band - 1982

HISTORY of the RISCA BAND of the SALVATION ARMY

(as of September 2006)

AT THE commissioning of the Risca Corps on 13 September 1980 a new Senior Band was formed, under the leadership of BM. John Gregory.

So began the history of the Risca Band of The Salvation Army: a history short in time but already steeped in the true traditions of Salvation Army banding. Since its formation the band has been at the forefront of taking the Word of God to the people of Risca and the surrounding areas; as well as further afield. It has always given strong support during the regular Sunday meetings and special events at the corps. The band quickly established its musical ability to the extent that within just two months of its formation it was able to give a concert on the 15 November at the Andover Corps. This was the start of many such programmes the band has given within the Salvation Army in Wales and England, as well as for churches and institutions and other good causes within South Wales.

On the 6 December the band, with other music sections of the Corps, started the first of its now many traditional programmes – the Annual Citizens Carol Service. So, within the first four months of its existence, the band had started to set the traditions and standards of worship, music playing and deportment for which the Risca Band is well-known: traditions and standards which still exist under the present Bandmaster, Ian Browning.

The band’s reputation for its musical ability and spiritual depth has meant that it has been asked to visit many corps for a ‘weekend’ to give concerts and lead the Sunday meetings. Some of the corps from whom invitations were received and accepted are: Dudley, Exeter Temple, Skewen (twice), Swindon Gorse Hill, Salisbury City, Oxford Citadel, Nuneaton, Hemel Hempstead, Liverpool Kensington, Gainsborough, Winton, Hereford, Swansea Citadel, Gloucester Citadel, Ringwood, Canterbury, Carmarthen, Bexleyheath, Treharris and Poole.

Risca Band has invited the bands of most of the above and a few others to visit the Risca Corps for ‘weekends’ and has built up a wonderful fellowship with the visiting band personnel in the true spirit of Army banding.In addition to the above bands the Risca Band has had the privilege and honour to host the world renowned International Staff Band of The Salvation Army on two ‘weekend’ occasions. The first time was November 1989 under the baton of Lieut Colonel Ray Bowes. The band then returned to Risca in February 2005 with Stephen Cobb as their Bandmaster. The second occasion was especially memorable because the ISB shared the platform on the Saturday evening with the equal renowned ‘Buy As You View’ band under the leadership of Dr Robert Childs. Both occasions were very special times for the Risca band personnel.   

The band has given Saturday evening concerts at such diverse corps as Andover, Newport Maindee, Paignton, Treharris, Blaenavon, Bristol Staple Hill, Bristol Citadel, Penarth, Cardiff Cathays, Newport Central, Hadleigh Temple, Pontypool and Bath Citadel. On occasions the band has shared the platform with other musical sections, especially, (coming from Wales), male voice choirs.

In its early years, in particular, the band frequently shared programmes with the Risca Songster Brigade. Some of the places they have performed together are: Bedford Congress Hall (for the weekend), Regent Hall, Caldicot Pentecostal Church, the annual Music Festival at Newport Central Corps, Abersychan Corps, Cardiff Grangetown, Merthyr Tydfil, Bargoed, Chepstow Methodist Chapel, Cwmfelinfach Church and Bethany (Risca) Baptist Church. Other music sections with whom the band has shared the platform include: Morriston Band and Songsters, Mynyddislwyn Male Choir, Risca Male Choir, Gwent Police Choir, Blaenavon Male Voice Choir, Risca School Choir and, not to show bias towards the ladies, Newbridge Ladies Choir, Pentwynmawr Ladies Choir and Linden Torfaen (lady) Singers.

The band has performed or acted as ‘Duty Band’ at South and Mid Wales Divisional events and has always been glad to be of service on such occasions. These events have included: Soldiers’ Rallies, Inter-Corps Fellowship meetings, Youth Councils, Divisional In-Gathering meetings and a Soldiers’ Weekend at St Fagans. 

Other duties carried out by the band are many and varied, showing clearly the versatility of the band and its popularity for use on good causes. One can only list but some of the duties they have performed in addition to their normal duties for the corps:

Risca Sunday Schools’ March of Witness

Remembrance Day Parades at Cwmcarn and Cwmfelinfach

Festivals of Remembrance for the British Legion

Baden Powell Camps at Newport - accompanying the hymn singing for the youngsters

Various Senior Citizens meetings and gatherings

The Annual Risca Citizens Carol Service

The Newport Civic Carol Service

The Welsh National Garden Festival

The Millennium Centre, Cardiff

The National Eisteddfod

An Evangelical Day at Tenby

The 50th Christian Aid Celebrations

‘Songs in the Park’

Open Air meetings for Oxfam in aid of the Ethiopian Famine Appeal

So one can see just how popular and busy the band has been in its playing and preaching at so many places and for so many organisations. However, the above is just part of the band’s history. Most of its work is for and within the corps. Besides its normal functions on a Sunday of accompanying the congregational singing, performing musical items and participating in worship, the band has assisted the corps on such occasions as:

Raising monies for the Building Fund for the new hall that was built in January 1985

Annual Appeal collecting

Harvest Festivals

Easter Marches of Witness

Christmas Carolling

The history of Christmas Carolling is worthy of note as it is a particularly hard working time for the band when it plays carols and Christmas music for the populace each day of the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day. During this period it also performs at the Citizen’s Carol Service, the Corps Carol Service and other Carol Services for various churches and groups. The band has carried out these responsibilities every Christmas since its creation.

Risca Band in 1980 consisted of twenty-three bandsmen and Bandmaster John Gregory. By 1982 it had built up to 25 playing members, plus BM John Gregory, non-playing Band Sergeant Mel Browning and non-playing Colour Sergeant Vince Morgan. By the time the present Bandmaster, Ian Browning, took control in February 1995 the numbers in the band had fallen to just twelve. However, it still fulfilled its responsibilities.

Today, Bandmaster Ian Browning has responsibility for 28 playing members and non-playing Band Secretary Claire Durrant. His Band Locals are Deputy BM Philip Hawkins, Band Secretary Claire Durrant and Colour Sergeant Dean Brill. 

Since its inception the playing repertoire of the band has changed somewhat from purely Army religious music to a repertoire that now includes classical, popular and secular music alongside the Army’s religious music. The latest repertoire is indicative of the places the band now plays and to whom it plays.

Ian has established a simple yet demanding mission for the current band, that of ‘…..telling others’ and he endeavours to ensure that all band personnel practice this mission at every opportunity that arises. Further innovations by the band leadership team in recent years have been the establishment of annual Spring Concerts, ‘An Audience With' practices and guest conductors for band rehearsals. For the Spring Concerts the band has joined with guest soloists, such as Carl Saunders, Mike and Jenny Clark, Nigel John, Lucinda Gough, Kevin Gibb, Andrew Justice and several local Male Voice Choirs.

The ‘An Audience With' sessions started in 2005 and are special band rehearsals when people (Army and non-Army) are invited to attend the practice to hear the band, but in particular the guests of the band. Guests so far have been Derrick Kane (euphonium, ISB), Robin (former SA photographer) and Jean Bryant (THQ), Mel Hart (THQ) and Jamie Baulch (former Olympic athlete and local boy).

Amongst the guest conductors for band rehearsals have been Stephen Cobb,David Mallet, Carl Saunders, Captain Peter Ayling and Lieut Colonel Stephen Smith, Principal Director of Music for the British Army.

So, recorded in brief is the first 26 years of the Risca Band of The Salvation Army but one can be sure that these years are only the beginning of what one believes will be a long and successful future for this band.