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 Bill Gordon director Music Ministries |
BY KAMARA NOELLE SAMS –
They will descend upon Pasadena, Calif., by the twos from corps throughout the United States and Canada. Some will have instruments in tow. Others will bear flags or carry tambourines in hand. Most will be youngsters. All will make history on New Year’s Day when they march with the longest-running band in Tournament of Roses history–The Salvation Army Tournament of Roses Band.
The 2001 Tournament of Roses Parade will mark the 82nd year of Salvation Army participation. No other band can make that claim. Not bad for an organization whose music department was formed by accident!
This is the second year the band will be made up of members from across the country–a fitting tribute to the 2001 Tournament of Roses theme “Fabric of America.”
This year, under the direction of Bill Gordon, director of music ministries for the Southern California Division, the 210 member Salvation Army Tournament of Roses Band will march to a slightly different beat. “The band will be incorporating new sounds into their music, reflecting an association with Christian gospel music,” according to Gordon.
The selections include “Tournament of Roses 2000,” introduced last year by the late Southern California Bandmaster Chris Mallett, “God of Our Father,” “Holy, Holy, Holy” and “Heavenward.”
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