Listen to this article
 |
|
|
BRIAN BURDITT (Center), Canadian Staff Bandmaster, addresses the audience at Rolling Hills Covenant Church in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.
|
Canadian Staff Bandmaster Brian Burditt spent five days with the members of the Pasadena Tabernacle Band conducting rehearsals, training sessions, an all day retreat and a Sunday evening concert with the choir of the Rolling Hills Covenant Church.
Tabernacle musicians reported that Burditt brings a positive style of leadership that requires attentiveness and attention to detail that elevates performance. Tabernacle Bandmaster Lambert Bittinger stated: “I believe that Brian Burditt is one of the finest and most sensitive music leaders in the Salvation Army–demanding of excellence in the best way. He was perfect for us–motivating in a positive context.”
Burditt holds advanced degrees in his field and had over 20 years of experience in music education within Canadian schools prior to accepting responsibilities as Staff Band-master and Music Secretary for the Canada and Bermuda territory in 1985. He has been a member of the band for 10 years and the deputy bandmaster for an additional three.
The Sunday evening concert allowed Burditt to demonstrate his choir leadership skills as he led the 100 voice church choir in a number of selections accompanied by the Tabernacle Band. Among a range of items selected by the band, the program featured such items as Leslie Condon’s Call of the Righteous, David Chaulk’s Variants on St. Francis, performed by Bandsman David Church, and Bruce Broughton’s March Hillcrest, which featured the Tabernacle timbrels.
“It was a pleasure to be associated with the musicians of a corps with such a vibrant music ministry,” said Burditt. “The initiative shown by the Pasadena Tabernacle Band in mounting the Festival of Gospel Song is commendable in-deed. The festival at Rolling Hills Covenant Church was exciting, entertaining and inspirational.”
