Here is a photograph taken in Medan in early November 2005, a couple of weeks before the band began the Malaysia/Singapore tour. I am in the front row (centre). On my right is the superintendent of the Boys Home at the time (Major Spener). His wife is on my left. Below the picture is a complete list of band members (all of whom are current or former members of the Medan Salvation Army Boys Home) and their various responsibilities.
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| Music Director | Bruce Gale | |||
| Bandmaster | Danias Karosekali | |||
| First Cornet | First Trombone | |||
| Jastis Bago | Yudhykana Laia | Section Leader/guest player from Jakarta. | ||
| Nobuala Halawa | Section Leader/Librarian | |||
| Eben Sinaga | Second Trombone | |||
| Mike Tyson Pangaribuan | ||||
| Second Cornet | Yohannes Mory | |||
| Yasahati | ||||
| Ganda Sinaga | Euphonium | |||
| Erjoin Marbun | Deputy Bandmaster and quartermaster | |||
| First Horn | Bass Eb | |||
| Putra Imanta Karosekali | Section Leader | Semro Manatap Sirait | ||
| Lasnointer Marbun | Section Leader | |||
| Second Horn | ||||
| Dodi Susanto Tampubolon | Bass Bb | |||
| Tison Sanmaruli Saragih | Rocky Tarigan | |||
| First Baritone | Percussion | |||
| David Hartawan | Section Leader | Dedy Agusta Purba | Section Leader | |
| Niusman Halawa | Apollos Marbun | |||
| Daniel Sinaga | ||||
| Second Baritone | ||||
| Hotdi Parningotan Siahaan | ||||
Things were quite different when we first began. Here is a photograph taken around 1987, showing the pioneer members of the band. At that time the band had only been in existence for a few months, so we could only play a few simple hymn tunes. Notice the absence of a tuba. I hadn't been able to obtain one at that point, so I got the euphonium player (extreme right) to play the tuba part instead. The arrangement served our needs for about a year until the Kuala Lumpur Salvation Army in Malaysia donated an old one. In fact, almost all the band's first instruments were provided by the Malaysians. Since then, most of our instruments (all second hand) have been donated by well-wishers in the Salvation Army in Singapore and Australia. Over the years, I have also bought quite a lot myself. I am on the left of the photograph holding the baton.
Our first bandmaster (remember, I live in Singapore and can only travel to Medan every three or four months) was Posma Hutabarat. He was later sponsored to a local university by Michael Hall (a Briton who also had an interest in the band). Posma is now a fully qualified medical doctor living in Java. Did I mention that these boys were smart? Here is an early photograph of him:
