Latest News
BBJ Christmas Carolling 2011
BBJ began the Christmas carolling season with a performance at Medan's Sun Plaza on Sunday December 11. The band's final engagement was at a mass Christmas carol service with Medan's Methodist Merak Jingga church on December 24.
BBJ Junior - first performance
BBJ's reconstituted junior band had its first performance on October 16. You can watch the video at the foot of this page. Another learners group has just been formed. Those who pass a test in February will also be admitted as junior band members.
Former BBJ member passes away
Former BBJ member Faigiduho Zagoto passed away in Jakarta at 5am local time on Easter Morning. A sousaphone player, he played in BBJ between 1992 and 1998.
BBJ returns from Nias
BBJ returned from Nias island on July 4 after spending several days performing in remote towns and villages. BBJ members have many relatives on the island, which lies off the west coast of Sumatra.
ABRSM Music Examinations (practical)
Eight band members sat for these exams on August 20, 2010. All passed. Three passed with merit and one was awarded a distinction.
ABRSM Music Examinations (theory)
For the first time in BBJ's history, two members sat for ABRSM theory exams in Medan on February 13 this year. The results were released in May. Erjoin Marbun passed the grade 3 theory exam. Lasnointer Marbun achieved a distinction in the grade 5 theory exam.
William Booth SA Boys' Home
View William Booth SA Boys' Home in a larger map
Support BBJ. Buy from my store!
BBJ Photo Gallery
The Medan band (B
Cleaning the instruments is something everyone takes seriously in Medan - even those in the beginners band. 
Normally, the band practices for two hours twice a week. Thursday and Saturday evenings is set aside for the senior band. The junior band and beginners practice on Sunday afternoon. Of course, some senior band members practice more often than that. When I am in Medan, practices are also far more frequent and last much longer. 
Like all other Salvation Army bands around the world, BBJ performs regularly at community and church events in the city, especially at Christmas. Major concerts are difficult to organise on a limited budget. But we manage hold one every two or three years. The last one was in November 2008.
There are currently (July 2011) 33 members in the Brass Band Jenderal (BBJ), with ages ranging from 12 to 32. Until very recently, all were current or former members of the Salvation Army boys home in Medan, Indonesia. In February 2010 we admitted our first female member after she passed the entrance test. But she has now gone to Jakarta to enter The Salvation Army's College for Officers (Pastors).
As you can imagine, the band does not have much money to go on tours. However, there have been times when well-wishers have helped by donating money. Since it was established in 1987 the band has been to Jakarta three times. There have also been two other tours. The first was to 
Medan Band (Brass Band Jenderal - BBJ) members take two types of music exams. They are internal exams (for band membership) and external exams (organized by the London-based Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music)
In November 2008, immediately after our very successful concert that month, band members began work on BBJ's (Medan band's) very own music studio. Until then, all rehearsals were held in the adjoining church, which meant that everything had to be tidied up and rearranged after each rehearsal. It also meant that if the church was being used for some other activity, band members could not practice.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
More Articles...
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 1 of 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
