USA East Music NYSB BULLETIN - SUMMER 2018 | Page 11

After the concert the band was
requested to meet with hundreds
of concertgoers for pictures and
autographs. It was a wonderfully
joyous atmosphere and the crowd
was extremely appreciative of the
band’s fine playing and singing.
Standout moments—singing in
Japanese (one of the verses to Psalm
23) and being told how impactful
that was to the audience.
It was an important and
meaningful night and one that got
this tour started properly. High quality music
with a Message.
Wednesday’s journey for the band begins
with a Japanese breakfast at the KKR Hotel
in Osaka and an incredible view overlooking
the Osaka Castle.
We make our way to the bus and on to
the Tenma Corps in Osaka (also known as
Osaka Central Corps), the largest corps in
Japan’s second most populous city. We are
warmly greeted by the Salvationists in Osaka.
Together in one spirit, though we speak
different languages, we gather to worship
the Lord through music.
Young Salvationist musicians from
the area sit in with the band to play some
classics of Salvation Army repertoire. We then
transition to a worship service, and despite
the fact that it is a Wednesday morning, a
sizable crowd is able to share in worship
with us due to the Spring Equinox holiday.
Following selections from the Staff Band,
including Be Still, a special composition from
Dr. Dorothy Gates, and Ray Steadman-Allen’s
In Quiet Pastures, Lt. Colonel James LaBossiere
brings the message based on John 10—The
Good Shepherd and His Sheep.
We then take to the streets on a march
of witness. The Corps is adjacent to a long,
narrow passageway of shops and stores
T H E S A LVAT I O N A R M Y U S A E A S T
under a vaulted covering. We take off in
one direction, drawing the attention of the
hundreds of people shopping, with the
bold and powerful sounds of the band. As
we reach an area with room to congregate
and a crowd, we play Amazing Grace (Richard
Phillips) and the message of Christ is
shared with all who will listen. This time,
we start back toward the corps in the
opposite direction.
Once the march has ended, we head
to the train station as we depart for Tokyo
on the Bullet Train (Shinkansen), a much
anticipated part of our trip for many of
the band members. As we see the Osaka
sunset coasting by at speeds up to 200
mph, we turn a 6-hour bus trip into a train
ride of under 3 hours. At the end of an
exciting yet exhausting day, we reach the
infamous Tokyo Dome Hotel, where we
are thankful to be able to settle in for the
remainder of our time in Japan.
After what has seemed like several
days of nonstop traveling, the band is
happy to settle in Tokyo for the remaining
days of the tour. A slightly later start to the
day meant a chance to experience a full
Japanese breakfast in the hotel with many
of the band members becoming expert
chopstick users by now!
Thursday the band boarded the
bus to the Tokyo City Opera Hall.
Along the way, we took in views
of an absolutely pristine city and
caught glimpses of cherry blossoms
beginning to bloom. One of the
several local leaders that has been
traveling with the band, Major
Masataka Tateishi, commanding
officer of the Kobe Corps shared
some thoughts with us and asked
if he could sing to us. The band
hummed along as Major Tateishi
sang To be like Jesus in Japanese, with the
band joining in a second verse in English. A
powerful moment!
Entering the main hall of Tokyo Opera City
was no less than mind blowing. A masterpiece
of architecture and acoustics. Over the next
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