Executive Officer Appointed

Major Geoff Chape, recently appointed as the Divisional Director for Evangelism in the Southern Division of the United Kingdom Territory, has also been appointed to succeed Major Adrian Allman as the Executive Officer of the Solent Area Fellowship Band.

Born in the North East of England, Major Chape was brought up in the Salvation Army at the Middlesbrough North Ormesby and Eston corps. He started playing a musical instrument at the age of 5, became the Young People’s Band leader at 16, and became the corps bandmaster at 20. He has maintained his playing over the years, progressing to larger mouthpieces as the years have passed until, as the commanding officer at Blackpool Citadel, he spent the last two years playing bass trombone or Eb bass as required.

For Major Chape, brass playing, both pre-officership and post-officership, has been a source of rich fellowship, enjoyment and blessing. The capacity to bring blessing to others, not only personal enjoyment, has been an inspirational reason for his continuing participation and support of Salvation Army brass bands. It is his prayer that he can offer some continuing influence and direction that allows the Fellowship Band’s sacred music to be relevant and necessarily positive for worship and service.