Barrie Gott

Salvation Army bands have been playing here for nearly 100 years. When the church begins its annual Christmas Kettle Appeal this Friday, some 200-250 volunteer musicians will be dispatched by Southern Califoria Division Music Director Barrie Gott

Q: Where do the volunteers who play in your bands come from?

A: All walks of society: publicists, accountants, tradesmen, students. We have a professor of psychology at Cal State Northridge. If members of the Salvation Army church have children, we ask if anyone wants to study music. And we provide a weekly class.

Q: What does the Salvation Army Band do?

A: The band provides three functions. One is to glorify God. Two is to play within the church service. And the third is as an outreach program.

Q: How many Salvation Army bands are there in Southern California?

A: We have a 40-piece band in Santa Ana, which is probably the biggest band in the division. The next largest is Pasadena, which I personally lead. We also have bands in Torrance, Long Beach, San Diego, El Cajon and Glendale.

Q: Where do the bands play?

A: We play in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Christmas celebration, in the Tournament of Roses Parade, and in parks, on the streets, in shopping malls and in rest homes. Each musician plays about five hours a week in public during the Christmas season.

Q: You play malls?

A: Some of them. It depends on the management. We were at Santa Anita Fashion Park last year, and we had a great response. I think it created a tremendous feeling within the mall as to what Christmas was about, as opposed to the commercialism.

Q: Why does the Salvation Army have brass bands? Why not violins?

A: Back when the Salvation Army started, 120 years ago, a Salvation Army captain, a woman, was struggling with the crowd at an open-air service in a very intimidating situation. A family of musicians who played brass instruments came to her rescue. And it just took off that this was a means by which people could be brought to Christ.

Q: When you look at old Christmas movies, there’s always someone standing in the snow ringing a bell with a couple of people with horns playing out of tune. Does the Salvation Army really play out of tune?

A: Not in my band they don’t (laughs).

Q: How do you get so many horn players to play together?

A: They’re dedicated. We insist on a certain standard of performance. If they’re playing for a ministry, they’ve got to produce.

Q: Did you always intend to play Christian music?

A: When I started out, I was trained as a classical trumpet player. That was my goal--to be an orchestra musician. I’ve moved more into education as the years have gone on.

Q: Any regrets?

A: None at all.

Q: You wouldn’t rather play in the Sydney Philharmonic as opposed to the Santa Anita Mall?

A: No, I don’t think so. Classical music is more challenging, but I suppose my greatest achievement is conducting music that affects people in such a way that they’ll listen to Christ.