Heritage Brass Sessions

Two day-long (at least five hours each day) recording sessions took place on 18 – 19 November 2011 at Etobicoke Temple. The production of Good Old Army #4 was a marathon endurance test on the part of Heritage Brass (Bandmaster Ian Watkinson). From the recording’s signature piece, Good Old Army (Nick Simmons-Smith) to the final add-on tune A Child This Day Is Born, the sessions made for a group of very tired people as they made their journeys homeward.

It was very appropriate that the opening line of the initial track of the recording is “We’re a band that shall conquer the foe, if we fight in the strength of the King.”

The concept of a recording featuring many of the grand old songs used in Salvation Army worship services through the years, interspersed with snappy marches, inspirational selections and great festival numbers has been well-received at the market level. The present recording features only one soloist. Deryck Diffey contributed the lovely work In the Love of Jesus (William Hammond, arr. Ray Steadman-Allen).

Master recording engineer Ted Marshall of Marshall Arts was able to catch all of the faulty entries, releases, accidentals and the odd snuffle or cough. Special mention must also be made of the bandmaster’s wife, Isobel Watkinson, who provided a wonderful dinner on the final day.