NYSB Takes Part in a Christmas Concert
by Hugo Bravo
The West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood, N.J., was filled with the sounds of Christmas music on Friday night, highlighted by a performance from The Salvation Army New York Staff Band.
“The Salvation Army does magnificent work,” said Christian Wilhjelm, the music director of the New Jersey Wind Symphony and host for the event. “My first experience hearing them was in the 1960s at their hall on 14th Street in New York. Today you see their kettles in malls and in towns like here in Ridgewood.
“When you give to them, be generous, and be comfortable in knowing that all the Army does is for people who really need it,” said Wilhjelm.
The night opened with the Northern Highlands H.S. Honors Wind Ensemble, a group of student musicians from Northern Highlands Regional High School, grades 10 to 12. They performed some high school band mainstays, like Pierre LaPlante’s American Riversongs and Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral by Richard Wagner.
“Just three weeks ago, they were playing their fight song,” said Wilhjelm. “It’s wonderful to have them here.”
Wilhjelm then conducted the New Jersey Wind Symphony Orchestra in selections from Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Music from the famous ballet is still heard today in Christmas films like Home Alone 2 and The Muppet Christmas Carol.
“In pieces like this one, you hear something new every time you listen to it,” said Wilhjelm.
Next, guest soloist Kyle Turner, a renowned tubist who has performed with orchestras across the world, played Tuba Concerto, a piece by Martin Ellerby, with the New Jersey Wind Symphony.
“I’ve known Kyle for many years, but I never knew about this piece,” said Wilhjelm. “But my friends here at the Salvation Army New York Staff Band said they had heard of it, because they have played Ellerby’s brass band music for years.”
A season for sharing
Before the New York Staff Band’s performance, Major Brett DiMichael, general secretary for The Salvation Army New Jersey Division, spoke about the work that the Army does in New Jersey.
“Last year alone, we served over five and a half million meals through our food pantry and meal programs. We provided over 17,000 nights of shelter in our buildings. That’s just in New Jersey,” said DiMichael.
He also shared a story about playing his own brass instrument at a kettle during a freezing day in December when he was a teenager.
“After we were done,” said DiMichael, “my dad drove me home in a warm car. My mom made hot chocolate for me and my brother and sister, and then we sat down to our dinner and ate together.
“So many of our neighbors in New Jersey have lives that don’t look anything like that. They don’t know where their next meal is coming from, or where they’re going to lay their head that night. Perhaps some kind of addiction has broken a family apart. In The Salvation Army, we consider those our people. We have been called to serve them, and to serve God by serving them.”
The New York Staff Band closed the night with a performance of various Christmas classics. “We’re excited tonight because we get to play music to honor the birth of our Lord and Savior,” said Bandmaster Derek Lance. “We thank you for letting us be here, and I pray that you’ve been blessed and encouraged by everything that you’ve heard and seen this evening.”
After the concert, guests stopped in the church lobby to put money in a Salvation Army kettle. Everyone in attendance left feeling inspired, both by the music and for the reminder of the work that the Army does to help their New Jersey neighbors.
