Fond Recollections of Brian
Brian Bowen ( 1940 — 2022 ) can rightfully be considered among the most talented of Salvationist musicians . An intellectual , scholar , gifted composer — arranger , masterful editor , and insightful conductor , he has left a strong mark on our denomination ’ s musical scene and growth . Much could be written about this remarkable man , yet hopefully this short overview of his achivements and continued influence can pay the appropriate tribute such as he deserves . While his tenure as bandmaster of The New York Staff Band was , in the overall history of the band , a short one , 1986 — 1992 , it was
momentous , marked by several achievements and unique events . Early in his leadership , Brian led the band on its Centennial Tour , 1987 , a cross-America extravaganza . Some of the commissioned music for that year may be heard on the band ’ s fine Laude recording . Other tours included a Far East trip , with the complimentary recording Pacific Bridge , a jaunt to Puerto Rico , and the 1992 tour of the United Kingdom . Under his skilled baton , the band recorded an excellent compact disc called Principals featuring Philip Smith and Dudley Bright , Salvationists at the top of their profession at that time , in the New York Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra , respectively . Beyond all that , it was in the Bowen era that women became reinvolved in the NYSB , though early history had shown that women did play in the band ‘ way back when ’ for a brief period ! How that all went down while he was staff bandmaster is a fascinating slice of the band ’ s history , one only briefly dealt with in my history of the NYSB , The Proclaimers . What I can whole-heartedly observe and endorse is that the NYSB played very well under Brian Bowen ’ s baton .
Brian Bowen came to America and the band after impressive accomplishments as a brass performer , arranger , and conductor in the United Kingdom . Within the International Staff Band he maintained high quality performance , especially on flugelhorn . He also successfully served for an extended period as bandmaster of the large corps band at Staines , on the outskirts of London . When he moved to New York in 1986 he was already an accomplished musician of refined ability . His new job called for him to be the editor of USA East musical publications . His role as Staff Bandmaster was in tangent to that , but separate from that role .
Members of the NYSB who played under him found him demanding , and perhaps somewhat reserved in his interpersonal skills . In retrospect , I found that this initial British reserve created some of the difficulties in communication which he encountered or perhaps even created . He left the band under difficult conditions , some of his own making , some from misunderstood interactions with SA administration . However , in the years following Brian Bowen gradually became reconnected with the NYSB fellowship . Ron Waiksnoris must be credited for part of that rapproachment . For example , Waiksnoris invited Brian to lead the band at several Reunion concerts , and he focused specifically on Bowen ’ s music in several of the band ’ s outstanding recordings .
This fine composer has left a superb compositional legacy , a range of works that will stand the test of time . If we consider one genre alone , meditations , the list is among the finest of that form . The Suppliant Heart is an elegant treatment of the hymn tune Margaret . His more recent efforts in the meditation , Sursum Corda and Consecration , are masterfully handled . And then there is the inimitable My Comfort and Strength , a work filled with suberb craftsmanship and emotion . A Brian Bowen work is marked by excellence in all musical parameters . He only submitted the best of his material to SA journals . He may not have had a very large
16 NYSB BULLETIN SUMMER 2023
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