O & R for Music Organizations
(Excerpts from Orders & Regulations for Music Organizations in the USA)
Section 1 - Aims and Purposes
1. Supreme Purposes
Salvation Army music organizations exist to proclaim the Army’s message: salvation from sin through Jesus Christ, and to accomplish the Army’s purposes: the glorification of God and the salvation of souls.
2. Value of Music
All members of the Army's music organizations should be alive to the value of the judicious use of vocal and instrumental music. Music, of itself, can often cheer the spirit but, when associated with the truths of the Christian religion, can be greatly used to lead sinners to God and to confirm saints in their faith.
3. Salvationism of Army Musicians
Army musicians should remember that they are Salvationists first and, as such, are devoted to the will and service of God, being musicians only that they may better do God's will and render Him service. Consequently, they should use their instruments and/or voices in order to save souls, just as Salvationists in general speak, sing, and employ other methods for that purpose.
4. Musicianship and Spiritual Power
Army musicians should strive towards music excellence in order to more effectually bless and win their hearers; at the same time they should steadily resist the ever-present tendency to become mere performers, realizing the uselessness, for the Army's purposes, of music that is lacking in spiritual power.
6. Relationship to Corps
Army musicians should always remember that they are a part of the corps and should seek the same great ends for which the corps exists. They should cooperate with the CO to prevent any feelings of separateness between the music organizations and the rest of the corps.
7. How the Band and Other Instrumental Combinations Can Help
Musicians should understand that, in connection with salvation work, an instrumental combination is particularly valuable in:
a) Attracting people to the meetings. In this a brass band has great advantages. Out-of-doors, it can readily operate in any part of a neighborhood and its pleasing strains, reaching farther than the human voice or than most other instrumental combinations, will draw many within earshot of the Army's message and often lead to their salvation.
b) Accompanying the singing and thereby helping and enriching it.
c) Conveying, by the association of ideas, salvation messages direct to the hearts of the hearers. This is likely to take place when tunes or selections are wisely chosen.
Section 2 - Evangelism
1. Salvation Army Musicians - Evangelists
All members of Salvation Army music organizations are expected, as far as circumstances permit, to be active evangelists in every form of salvation warfare.
2. Holy Purpose of Music
The musical efforts of musicians, whether collective or individual, should always be prompted by a high and holy purpose and backed by prayer, thereby becoming spiritually effective as well as musically attractive.
4. Conducting Meetings
Music organizations are expected, as such, to regularly undertake the responsibility for meetings.
a) Wherever possible, each group should constitute a separate open-air team.
b) Each should conduct or participate in a weeknight special worship service from time to time.
5. Other Ministry
Other forms of aggressive evangelism should, as far as possible, be planned for and be carried out by music organizations. Possibilities for this ministry could include:
a) visiting hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and other public and private institutions in the spiritual interest of the patients and residents;
b) retaining a few musicians indoors on Sunday evenings, especially in the summer, while the remainder minister in some unworked neighborhood, assist some adjacent small corps, or continue the open-air meeting;
c) dividing a large band into groups, say of eight or ten, each group being sent to conduct meetings in some outlying neighborhood;
d) holding short meetings outside the homes of the sick, whether Salvationists or others;
e) forming special ensembles from within existing groups.
Section 3 – Supervision
5. Corps Officer
The CO is responsible to the DC, for directing generally the operation of all music organizations in the corps. The CO is also responsible for their spirituality, musicianship, usefulness, and all-round development in accordance with these orders and regulations and with the Orders and Regulations for Corps Officers.
Section 1 - Aims and Purposes
1. Supreme Purposes
Salvation Army music organizations exist to proclaim the Army’s message: salvation from sin through Jesus Christ, and to accomplish the Army’s purposes: the glorification of God and the salvation of souls.
2. Value of Music
All members of the Army's music organizations should be alive to the value of the judicious use of vocal and instrumental music. Music, of itself, can often cheer the spirit but, when associated with the truths of the Christian religion, can be greatly used to lead sinners to God and to confirm saints in their faith.
3. Salvationism of Army Musicians
Army musicians should remember that they are Salvationists first and, as such, are devoted to the will and service of God, being musicians only that they may better do God's will and render Him service. Consequently, they should use their instruments and/or voices in order to save souls, just as Salvationists in general speak, sing, and employ other methods for that purpose.
4. Musicianship and Spiritual Power
Army musicians should strive towards music excellence in order to more effectually bless and win their hearers; at the same time they should steadily resist the ever-present tendency to become mere performers, realizing the uselessness, for the Army's purposes, of music that is lacking in spiritual power.
6. Relationship to Corps
Army musicians should always remember that they are a part of the corps and should seek the same great ends for which the corps exists. They should cooperate with the CO to prevent any feelings of separateness between the music organizations and the rest of the corps.
7. How the Band and Other Instrumental Combinations Can Help
Musicians should understand that, in connection with salvation work, an instrumental combination is particularly valuable in:
a) Attracting people to the meetings. In this a brass band has great advantages. Out-of-doors, it can readily operate in any part of a neighborhood and its pleasing strains, reaching farther than the human voice or than most other instrumental combinations, will draw many within earshot of the Army's message and often lead to their salvation.
b) Accompanying the singing and thereby helping and enriching it.
c) Conveying, by the association of ideas, salvation messages direct to the hearts of the hearers. This is likely to take place when tunes or selections are wisely chosen.
Section 2 - Evangelism
1. Salvation Army Musicians - Evangelists
All members of Salvation Army music organizations are expected, as far as circumstances permit, to be active evangelists in every form of salvation warfare.
2. Holy Purpose of Music
The musical efforts of musicians, whether collective or individual, should always be prompted by a high and holy purpose and backed by prayer, thereby becoming spiritually effective as well as musically attractive.
4. Conducting Meetings
Music organizations are expected, as such, to regularly undertake the responsibility for meetings.
a) Wherever possible, each group should constitute a separate open-air team.
b) Each should conduct or participate in a weeknight special worship service from time to time.
5. Other Ministry
Other forms of aggressive evangelism should, as far as possible, be planned for and be carried out by music organizations. Possibilities for this ministry could include:
a) visiting hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and other public and private institutions in the spiritual interest of the patients and residents;
b) retaining a few musicians indoors on Sunday evenings, especially in the summer, while the remainder minister in some unworked neighborhood, assist some adjacent small corps, or continue the open-air meeting;
c) dividing a large band into groups, say of eight or ten, each group being sent to conduct meetings in some outlying neighborhood;
d) holding short meetings outside the homes of the sick, whether Salvationists or others;
e) forming special ensembles from within existing groups.
Section 3 – Supervision
5. Corps Officer
The CO is responsible to the DC, for directing generally the operation of all music organizations in the corps. The CO is also responsible for their spirituality, musicianship, usefulness, and all-round development in accordance with these orders and regulations and with the Orders and Regulations for Corps Officers.
