PROGRAM NOTE
Written for the Canadian Staff Band’s online Remembrance Concert in 2020, the music is framed upon the four verses of John Oxenham’s hymn, In Christ There Is No East or West (S.A.S.B. 1006), which is most often associated with Alexander Reinagle’s well-known tune, St. Peter (T.B. 116).
The music begins very plainly with the solo snare drum and solo melody line. With occasional references to The Last Post, it builds toward the full-sounding proclamation of the text, “All Christly souls are one in Him throughout the whole wide earth.”
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Born into a Salvationist family in the north-west of England, Nicholas Samuel grew up involved in ministry at the Warrington Citadel corps. After obtaining a degree in music from the University of Salford, he began working in the Music Ministries Unit at The Salvation Army’s UK Territorial Headquarters as part of the editorial team. In September 2008, Nicholas entered the William Booth College for Officer Training (UK) as a member of the Prayer Warriors session. Commissioned in 2010, Nicholas, along with his wife Heather (commissioned in 2004) served together as corps officers in the UK for three years before moving to appointments in Canada with their two children in 2013. They presently serve as the corps officers at London Citadel in the Ontario Division