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From time to time on this forum we discuss the musical activities of the Salvation Army, once a bastion of the concertina. Here is a fascinating site filled with hundreds of recordings of SA music dating from 1927 to the 1970s. http://www.regalzonophone.com/

 

Most of it is brass band music and choral music (on old 78s and early LPs), but there are a few concertina solos--apparently duet players--from the 1930s. The brass band stuff- especially the old marches on 78s--is truly amazing, and it goes on forever. Lots of English SA bands as well as Australian, New Zealand, American, Canadian, even Egyptian. If you are a fan of the old British brass band music tradition, this is the place to go.

 

Too bad there is not a lot of concertina music, and what little there is is on duets rather than the Anglos they started with in their rough and tumble early days (no disrespect intended toward duet players!). An added plus is a collection of four speeches recorded from General William Booth himself--clearly recorded before he died in 1912. Sally Army fans, take note.

 

Cheers,

Dan

Edited by Dan Worrall
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From time to time on this forum we discuss the musical activities of the Salvation Army, once a bastion of the concertina. Here is a fascinating site filled with hundreds of recordings of SA music dating from 1927 to the 1970s. http://www.regalzonophone.com/

 

Most of it is brass band music and choral music (on old 78s and early LPs), but there are a few concertina solos--apparently duet players--from the 1930s. The brass band stuff- especially the old marches on 78s--is truly amazing, and it goes on forever. Lots of English SA bands as well as Australian, New Zealand, American, Canadian, even Egyptian. If you are a fan of the old British brass band music tradition, this is the place to go.

 

Too bad there is not a lot of concertina music, and what little there is is on duets rather than the Anglos they started with in their rough and tumble early days (no disrespect intended toward duet players!). An added plus is a collection of four speeches recorded from General William Booth himself--clearly recorded before he died in 1912. Sally Army fans, take note.

 

Cheers,

Dan

 

Many thanks for that Dan. Coming from a Salvation Army background on my mother's side, going back as far as great gran who joined the Army in the very early days (when uniformed members were pelted with flour and even dead cats!!), and with a grandfather who played in the local Army brass band it's a joy to hear all the band stuff ... and interesting to have the chance to hear the General as well.

 

clearly recorded before he died in 1912

 

:lol:

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Thanks for sharing this Dan. Great website. I couldn't find the concertina tunes though.

 

Martyn

 

Martyn - I googled "Regal Zonophone" "Concertina" ... and it threw these numbers off the website up for me ..

 

MF269

MF292

 

I haven't searched any further so far , but am having fun listening to the brass band stuff while I type :)

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Thanks for sharing this Dan. Great website. I couldn't find the concertina tunes though.

 

Martyn

 

Martyn - I googled "Regal Zonophone" "Concertina" ... and it threw these numbers off the website up for me ..

 

MF269

MF292

 

I haven't searched any further so far , but am having fun listening to the brass band stuff while I type :)

 

Well, here's what you get.

 

MF250-MF299MF269 - Concertina Solo - A Salvation Medley. 1936. Brigadier Archie Burgess with Adjt. Eric Ball .... MF292 - Concertina Solo - Glory to God in the Highest ...

www.regalzonophone.com/Labels_MF250-MF299.htm

 

R.Z. 78's Page 2MF269, 1936, Concertina Solo - A Salvation Medley (a) Calm is My Resting, (B) My Burden, .... MF292, 1940, Concertina Solo - Glory to God in the Highest ...

www.regalzonophone.com/RZ_78's_Page_2.htm

 

MF280-MF299*MF292, 1940, Concertina Solo - Glory to God in the Highest, Adjutant Bramwell ... *MF292, 1940, Concertina Solo - Sweet & Low, Brig. A. Burgess, Barnby ...

www.regalzonophone.com/RZ%2078s%20MF280-MF299.htm

 

MF260-MF279MF269, 1936, Concertina Solo - A Salvation Medley (a) Calm is My Resting, (B) My Burden, © I am Happy, Glad and Free, Brig. Archie Burgess accompanied by ...

www.regalzonophone.com/RZ%2078s%20MF260-MF279.htm

 

Chris

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Thanks for sharing this Dan. Great website. I couldn't find the concertina tunes though.

 

 

Well, here's what you get.

 

MF250-MF299MF269 - Concertina Solo - A Salvation Medley. 1936. Brigadier Archie Burgess with Adjt. Eric Ball .... MF292 - Concertina Solo - Glory to God in the Highest ...

www.regalzonophone.com/Labels_MF250-MF299.htm

 

R.Z. 78's Page 2MF269, 1936, Concertina Solo - A Salvation Medley (a) Calm is My Resting, (B) My Burden, .... MF292, 1940, Concertina Solo - Glory to God in the Highest ...

www.regalzonophone.com/RZ_78's_Page_2.htm

 

MF280-MF299*MF292, 1940, Concertina Solo - Glory to God in the Highest, Adjutant Bramwell ... *MF292, 1940, Concertina Solo - Sweet & Low, Brig. A. Burgess, Barnby ...

www.regalzonophone.com/RZ%2078s%20MF280-MF299.htm

 

MF260-MF279MF269, 1936, Concertina Solo - A Salvation Medley (a) Calm is My Resting, (B) My Burden, © I am Happy, Glad and Free, Brig. Archie Burgess accompanied by ...

www.regalzonophone.com/RZ%2078s%20MF260-MF279.htm

 

Chris

 

So, just the same two tracks that I mentioned then Chris - MF269 and MF 292 ?

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Thanks for sharing this Dan. Great website. I couldn't find the concertina tunes though.

 

 

Well, here's what you get.

 

MF250-MF299MF269 - Concertina Solo - A Salvation Medley. 1936. Brigadier Archie Burgess with Adjt. Eric Ball .... MF292 - Concertina Solo - Glory to God in the Highest ...

www.regalzonophone.com/Labels_MF250-MF299.htm

 

R.Z. 78's Page 2MF269, 1936, Concertina Solo - A Salvation Medley (a) Calm is My Resting, (B) My Burden, .... MF292, 1940, Concertina Solo - Glory to God in the Highest ...

www.regalzonophone.com/RZ_78's_Page_2.htm

 

MF280-MF299*MF292, 1940, Concertina Solo - Glory to God in the Highest, Adjutant Bramwell ... *MF292, 1940, Concertina Solo - Sweet & Low, Brig. A. Burgess, Barnby ...

www.regalzonophone.com/RZ%2078s%20MF280-MF299.htm

 

MF260-MF279MF269, 1936, Concertina Solo - A Salvation Medley (a) Calm is My Resting, (B) My Burden, © I am Happy, Glad and Free, Brig. Archie Burgess accompanied by ...

www.regalzonophone.com/RZ%2078s%20MF260-MF279.htm

 

Chris

 

So, just the same two tracks that I mentioned then Chris - MF269 and MF 292 ?

 

It's actually 3 tracks, Irene, if you look. :rolleyes:

 

Chris

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MF250-MF299MF269 - Concertina Solo - A Salvation Medley. 1936. Brigadier Archie Burgess with Adjt. Eric Ball .... MF292 - Concertina Solo - Glory to God in the Highest ...

www.regalzonophone.com/Labels_MF250-MF299.htm

 

Chris

 

To put one face to name.....

Maybe earlier picture than recording as described as 'Major' Archie C.Burgess here.

 

 

 

Geoff

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MF250-MF299MF269 - Concertina Solo - A Salvation Medley. 1936. Brigadier Archie Burgess with Adjt. Eric Ball .... MF292 - Concertina Solo - Glory to God in the Highest ...

www.regalzonophone.com/Labels_MF250-MF299.htm

 

Chris

 

To put one face to name.....

Maybe earlier picture than recording as described as 'Major' Archie C.Burgess here.

 

 

 

Geoff

 

Thanks for the picture Geoff. Miserable looking blighter isn't he!!

Edited by Ralph Jordan
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Thanks for the picture Geoff. Miserable looking blighter isn't he!!

He may have looked miserable Ralphie, but on the other hand the material he played seems to have been quite variable ...have a look at this section of Stuart Eydmann's research work "The Life and Times of the Concertina"

 

"The Salvation Army produced a number of outstanding players of the duet concertina. W. Bramwell Thornett, who was born in Dundee in 1905, was regarded as one of the best. His parents, who had been stationed in Glasgow just prior to that time, were both players of the Anglo-German concertinas but Bramwell preferred the Crane Duet system because "it is suited to chord work". Resident in Felixstowe, Suffolk, in the mid-1980s, he counted himself as one of the "very few players remaining, in or out of the Army I fear".He credited the introduction of the Crane system into Army use to Brigadier Archie Burgess, an "artistic soloist in his time".In addition to formal religious performance, he was always in great demand as a soloist at secular events such as keep-fit classes, disabled persons meetings, old people's groups and children's parties, where he played music from "Acker Bilk to Beeethoven", including novelty numbers such as the imitations of bells and bagpipes. He always preferred to perform with a pianist or, when an accompanist was unobtainable, with backing tapes of piano or additional concertina parts prepared by himself."

 

So it looks as though he wasn't all serious stuff! ;)

 

He is also credited as the author of an article in the War Cry for 8 October 1932 entitled "100 Years of Concertinas"

 

I was prompted to do a bit more Googling, and came up with an interesting article written in 2002 by Major Edna Laird, who had been involved with the Plymouth Citadel Concertina band, and prompted by an earlier article in either the War Cry or the Salvationist (I forget which) on the occasion of Wheatstone's anniversary.

http://www1.salvatio...0May%202002.pdf (see page 19)

 

A search of the Salvation Army website for items related concertinas throws up quite a few obituaries in very recent years of Salvationists who have been promoted to glory, and who were members of concertina bands, or alternatively had used the solo concertina in their ministry. At that point I decided it was probably a good idea to cease googling, and disappear to bed!

Edited by Irene S
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I was prompted to do a bit more Googling, and came up with an interesting article written in 2002 by Major Edna Laird, who had been involved with the Plymouth Citadel Concertina band, and prompted by an earlier article in either the War Cry or the Salvationist (I forget which) on the occasion of Wheatstone's anniversary.

http://www1.salvatio...0May%202002.pdf

 

Interesting article - but mentions 2002 as the bicentenary of the invention of the concertina.

Steve

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