Brisbane concert honours Salvation Army composer
The Brisbane City Temple Band and Brisbane Excelsior Band join to honour Lieut-Colonel Ray Steadman-Allen.
The late Lieutenant-Colonel Ray Steadman-Allen, one of The Salvation Army's great composers, was remembered in a tribute concert at Brisbane City Temple on Sunday afternoon 21 June.
Barrie Gott, a good friend of Lieut-Colonel Steadman-Allen, organised the event which featured the Brisbane City Temple Band and the award-winning Brisbane Excelsior Band.
“Ray was a phenomenal composer, a very spiritual gentleman and so he deserves recognition for the contribution he made to The Salvation Army and music outside The Salvation Army as well,” Barrie said. “He also spent quite a lot of time in Australia as the Territorial Music Secretary.”
Each band item was a composition that Lieut-Colonel Steadman-Allen had written or arranged.
“The two leading bands that featured were outstanding,” says Barrie. “The Brisbane Excelsior Band is Australia's leading A-Grade band and Brisbane City Temple is one of The Salvation Army’s leading bands in Australia.”
Special guest artists Russell Gray and the Loften Brass Quintet and Blindside Vocal Quartet also performed.
“The highlight for me came at the end of the concert when the bands joined to play Ray’s most ambitious work – The Holy War”, Barrie said. “It was a very successful afternoon. A very worthwhile event that everyone enjoyed – a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man.”
A second tribute concert for Lieut-Colonel Steadman-Allen will be held at Sydney Congress Hall on Saturday 5 September (7.30pm).
This will be a night of music and song featuring the Parramatta Citadel Band, Sydney Staff Songsters and the Commissioner's Band. All are welcome to come and celebrate the life and musical work of Lieut-Colonel Steadman-Allen.
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