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Venues include Union Square, SF Opera House.
Four young Salvationist musicians from the United Kingdom, joined by Golden State Divisional Music Director Paul Williams, performed throughout the San Francisco Bay area recently.
“The four UK members of the group were good friends before arriving,” said Williams. “They grew up in The Salvation Army’s Anglia Division in the UK Territory and had attended several Army music schools together.” Nathan Bright and James Nessfield, Peterborough Citadel, played cornet; Timothy Andrews, Ipswich Citadel, played trombone; and Jordan Morley, Norwich Citadel, played tuba. Nathan, James and Timothy are music students and Jordan is enjoying a gap year before going to university to study sports management.
Most of the group’s efforts were concentrated in downtown San Francisco, where they supported the red kettle effort. Two favorite spots, for the group and passersby alike, were Union Square and the Davies Symphony Hall/San Francisco Opera House. The group was particularly well received on the evening that the Canadian Brass (a world renowned brass quintet) performed with the San Francisco Symphony. “This was particularly reflected in the amount of money that was donated that evening,” Williams remarked. “We also had the opportunity to hear the Canadian Brass that night which reminded us that we had a lot of work to do to catch up with those guys!”
Performance highlights
The group also played at several corps, including a Carolfest at Salinas Corps, and the San Francisco ARC, as well as providing entertainment for the Golden State and Del Oro divisions retired officers’ party. “A highlight was playing at the Classic Residence by Hyatt in Palo Alto. Mrs. Laura Waste, a keen and long-standing supporter of the Army’s work, lives in this residence and organized the 45-minute concert. The reception from the audience was particularly warm and the acoustics of the residence’s auditorium were a welcome relief from the streets of San Francisco,” recalled Williams.
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