Category: recordings

A few Olympic Games surprises: Miracle and Bugler’s Dream.

by Douglas Yeo (July 29, 2025)

During my long career as bass trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (1985–2012), I participated in hundreds of recording sessions that resulted in commercially available records, CDs, and streaming. Works by Brahms (the symphonies and Ein Deutsches Requiem), Mahler (Symphonies 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10), Ravel (a dozen works), Franck (Symphonie in d minor), and many other great composers, plus dozens of recordings with the Boston Pops Orchestra. In addition, I played on three film scores recorded by the Boston Symphony Orchestra: Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan (music by John Williams) and Mystic River (music by Clint Eastwood—sort of—but there’s a story behind that for another time. . .). The recording sessions for these films remain very memorable to me.

Covers to soundtrack albums recorded by the Boston Symphony Orchestra: Schindler’s List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Mystic River (2003)

Work rules and payments for recording sessions are governed by agreements made between orchestras and their players, and the players are represented by the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). These agreements cover working conditions for the sessions (how long they are, when and how long a break in a session occurs), and payment. I always looked at recording sessions as one of the great benefits of playing in the BSO, because not only was playing great music that would be enjoyed by the public over and over and I was being paid my regular weekly salary as a member of the orchestra, but I received an additional payment for playing the actual recording sessions. Then, it came as a surprise to me after my first season with the BSO that every year thereafter, I received a check—usually in the summer—that represented royalty, residual, and secondary market payments for those same sessions. Recording sessions were—and are—the gift that keeps on giving to this present day.

Those annual royalty payments fluctuate up and down, and each year, I receive a detailed statement that explains the amount I am paid for each film score or orchestral recording I made. A few years ago, I noticed a new entry on my annual Film Musicians and Secondary Markets Fund statement. In addition to entries for Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, and Mystic River, there was another movie listed: Miracle.

Promotional poster for Miracle (2004)

I didn’t remember playing any recording sessions for Miracle—a movie about the 1980 United States Winter Olympics men’s hockey team that defeated the Soviet Union’s team in the semi-final round and went on to defeat Finland to win the gold medal. But I certainly remember those Olympic games, and I had a vague recollection that a movie had been made about the team and their stunning victory. I don’t go to many movies, so it’s not surprising that I missed it.

But why was Miracle appearing on my annual film payments statement? I asked the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s manager about this and there was a simple explanation: the producers of Miracle wanted to use some music from a Boston Pops Orchestra recording in the film’s soundtrack. They didn’t need to convene a new recording session to do so. They just needed to get permission and pay royalties to the players who were on the original recording session.

As it turned out, the music that Miracle wanted to use was Bugler’s Dream by Leo Arnaud. Arnaud—who was a trombonist and successful composer and arranger who, after moving to the United States from his native France in 1931, worked on more than 160 films. Bugler’s Dream was composed in 1959. It was not “official music” for the Olympics but it was picked up and used by ABC television for their broadcast of the 1968 Winter Olympics (Grenoble, Switzerland). Since then, it has become an iconic piece that’s associated with the Olympic games.

Now, a quick aside. Since 1896, the International Olympic Committee has commissioned music for each Olympics. While Bugler’s Dream was not officially composed for the Olympics, the story of the music that was written for the games is told in William K. Guegold’s book, 100 years of Olympic Music: Music and Musicians of the Modern Olympic Games 1896–1996 (Mantua, Ohio: Golden Clef Publishing, 1996). The book, which is out of print but used copies are readily available, opens with an interview of John Williams and contains detailed commentary about music written for the Olympics including many samples of scores and other images. It’s a fascinating book.

Cover to William K. Guegold’s 100 Years of Olympic Music: Music and Musicians of the Modern Olympic Games 1896–1996

In 1996, the Boston Pops Orchestra made the official album of music for the 1996 Olympics (Atlanta, Georgia). John Williams was commissioned to write the theme music for those Olympic games, and that piece turned out to be Summon the Heroes; that was also the title of the compact disc recording that also included several other Olympic themed selections. Williams had previously written theme music for two other Olympic games: Olympic Fanfare and Theme (1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles, California), and The Olympic Spirit ( 1988 Olympic Games, Seoul, Korea; this theme was composed for NBC’s television coverage), and in 2002, Williams wrote Call of the Champions (2002 Olympic Games, Salt Lake City, Utah).

For the broadcast of the 1996 Olympic games on NBC, John Williams created a medley that began with Arnaud’s Bugler’s Dream and continued with Williams’ own Olympic Fanfare and Theme. This mashup of two familiar Olympic related pieces proved to be very popular. So popular that many people now assume that Williams wrote Bugler’s Dream. But the recording makes clear who wrote what; there are two pieces with two composers clearly identified on the printed notes to the recording.

Page from the accompanying booklet to the CD recording, Summon the Heroes (Boston Pops Orchestra, John Williams, conductor)

You can hear this recording of the medley of Bugler’s Dream and John Williams’ Olympic Fanfare and Theme recorded by the Boston Pops Orchestra with John Williams conducting on the 1996 recording, Summon the Heroes, HERE.

Back to Miracle. The movie about the 1980 US Olympic hockey team wanted to use Arnaud’s Bugler’s Dream, so all of a sudden, I was listed as a performer on the movie’s soundtrack. My contribution: 53 seconds of music. So, each year since 2005, I’ve received a small payment for Miracle in my annual royalty check. The other day, my wife and I finally got around to watching Miracle. It’s a terrific story that’s well told. And there it was: at the beginning of the scene where the US Olympic team gets off the bus in Lake Placid, New York (images below), you can hear the Boston Pops Orchestra playing Bugler’s Dream.

Images from the movie Miracle, showing the moment when Bugler’s Dream is heard, and the end credits.

By the way, if you purchase the soundtrack recording to Miracle, you won’t find the Boston Pops Orchestra track there. The soundtrack album only includes some original music for the movie composed by Mark Isham (four tracks), and songs by Blue Öyster Cult, J. Geils Band, and Jay Ferguson that were used in the movie. If you want the Bugler’s Dream recording that appears on Miracle, you can purchase the Summon The Heroes recording on amazon.com; you’ll find it there as an LP, CD, or streaming on amazon music.

That’s the first Olympic Games surprise to share with you. At least it was a surprise to me to find myself with credit as a performer on another movie. But here’s another Olympic Games surprise.

A few years ago, I began researching Maurice Ravel’s iconic composition, Bolero. The result of that research will be told in my forthcoming article, “Maurice Ravel’s Bolero: A Fresh Look at a Familiar Masterpiece.” The article will be published in two parts, in the October 2025 and January 2026 issues of the International Trombone Association Journal. In the article, I discuss the origin of Bolero, its premiere and other early performances, and I offer insights and discoveries about Bolero’s famous trombone solo. I’m not going to spoil the story here—you’ll have to read the article for yourself when it comes out—but one of the things I researched were the many claims that Leo Arnaud made about Ravel and Bolero. Arnaud often told stories about his friendship with Ravel, so I wanted to investigate them.

Among the things I researched was Arnaud’s Bugler’s Dream. I wanted to mention Arnaud’s most famous composition when I wrote about him in my Bolero article, but as I always do when I write about history, I do my due diligence to verify everything I read before I write about it. As I was investigating Bugler’s Dream, I learned a lot about the piece that was new to me. And it’s probably new to you, too.

I had known about and performed Bugler’s Dreams for many years. Those 53 seconds of music are an indelible part of our Olympic Games consciousness. During my research, I learned that Bugler’s Dream was commissioned by conductor Felix Slatkin (father of conductor Leonard Slatkin) in 1959 for the LP recording, Charge! Side 1 of the record has three compositions listed as composed by Arnaud (Charge!, Drummer Boys, and Bugler’s Dream), and side 2 has three arrangements by Arnaud (Fifes and Drums, Bagpipes and Drums, and When Johnny Comes Marching Home).

Front and back covers to Charge! (1959), conducted by Felix Slatkin

I purchased a copy of the Charge! LP and when I listened to it, there were more surprises. The 53 seconds of Bugler’s Dream that we all know and love is only the first part of the composition with that title. Bugler’s Dream is actually 3:55 long. There are five other sections to the piece, and the opening theme is not reprised. So, when we hear Bugler’s Dream on Olympic Games broadcasts, we’re hearing just the first part of the whole piece. Have a listen, below, to the complete Bugler’s Dream, the first 3:55 of this recording on YouTube:

But wait, there’s more.

As I continued researching Bugler’s Dream, there was another surprise waiting for me. Those first 53 seconds of Bugler’s Dream were not COMPOSED by Leo Arnaud. They were ARRANGED by him. While the label of the disc credits Arnaud as the composer of Bugler’s Dream—and every time the piece is recorded or played in concert, Arnaud is credited as the composer—the liner notes to Charge! tell a different story:

Incipit about Bugler’s Dream from the back cover of Charge!

Bugler’s Dream was “derived from various bugle calls,” and is a “fantasy of classical fanfares and radically modern cadenzas.” Bugler’s Dream is an arrangement. But of what?

I dug around some more and found the source for the famous theme that is credited to Arnaud and heard by millions of people at Olympic Games. The opening theme of Bugler’s Dream was written by Joseph-David Buhl (1781–1860). Buhl was a French trumpeter and composer who revised and wrote many bugle calls for the French Military under Napoleon Bonaparte and Louis XVIII. He published a method for trumpet in 1825, and in his time was highly regarded as a player, band leader, and composer.

One of Buhl’s bugle calls was Salut aux étendards (sonnerie triumphal) — Salute to the Standards (Triumphal Fanfare). It was recorded on the 1986 LP, Glorie à la Cavalerie, with Les Trompettes du “boute-selle” and La Fanfare du 2e Régiment de hussars, conducted by Éric Conrad. Have a listen to Buhl’s fanfare, above. You’ll immediately recognize it as the source for Bugler’s Dream.

Front and back covers to Gloire à la Cavalerie (1986), conducted by Éric Conrad

Leo Arnaud’s Bugler’s Dream begins with an arrangement of Joseph-David Buhl’s Salut aux étendards, and then moves to several more themes. I have not researched the source of these other themes but given what the liner notes to Charge! say about Bugler’s Dream — that it was “derived from various bugle calls” — I would not be surprised if the other themes in Bugler’s Dream were composed by someone other than Arnaud, too. And wouldn’t be surprised at all if the rest of Bugler’s Dream was also composed by Buhl. I’ll keep looking. It’s time to research French bugle calls.

Joseph-David Buhl died 165 years ago. He is not here to claim his rightful credit (and royalties, which must be considerable) for a piece that has become an iconic part of the modern Olympic Games. But the next time you hear Bugler’s Dream, tip your hat to Buhl. We can be grateful to Leo Arnaud for making Buhl’s fanfare famous to today’s ears. But we give Arnaud too much credit if we say Bugler’s Dream was composed by him. It was not. Arnaud should have given Buhl credit. Here’s how we should refer to the piece:

Joseph-David Buhl: Salut aux étendards. Arranged and adopted by Leo Arnaud as Bugler’s Dream.

Let’s give credit where credit is due.

Remembering William “Bill” Moyer (1929–2024) and the most famous trombone solo ever played

by Douglas Yeo (January 2, 2025)

A few days ago, I received word that my friend, William “Bill” Moyer, died peacefully on December 18, 2024. He was 95 years old. If you’ve never heard of Bill Moyer, hold on, because at a particular moment in time, he was the most famous trombone player in the world, and he played the most famous trombone solo ever written in a performance that was seen and heard by over 23 million people around the world. This is a time to remember Bill Moyer.

Born in 1929, William C. Moyer attended Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio where he studied trombone with Arthur Williams and Thomas Cramer. In 1952—shortly before he graduated from Oberlin—he auditioned for and was hired as second trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra by music director Charles Munch.

Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra who joined the orchestra in fall 1952 through early 1953. Standing (left to right): Everett “Vic” Firth (timpani), Richard Plaster (contrabassoon), Fredy Ostrovsky (violin), William “Bill” Marshall (violin), Harold J. “Tommy” Thompson (cymbals), Gerard Goguen (trumpet), Kauko “Koko” Kahila (bass trombone), Rosario Mazzeo (clarinet and personnel manager; joined in 1933); William “Bill” Moyer (trombone). Seated: Martin Hoherman (cello), Doriot Anthony Dwyer (flute), Leonard “Lenny” Moss (violin). Tanglewood, summer 1953. (Boston Symphony Orchestra archives)

Members of the low brass section of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Standing (left to right): Jacob Raichman (principal trombone), William Moyer (second trombone), Kauko Kahila (bass trombone). Seated: Kilton Vinal Smith (tuba). Not pictured is Joseph Orosz (assistant principal and utility trombone). Tanglewood, summer 1953. (Boston Symphony Orchestra archives)

Sitting between principal trombonist Jacob Raichman (until 1955) or William Gibson (after 1955) and bass trombonist Kauko “Koko” Kahila—and sometimes next to the BSO’s assistant principal and utility trombonist, Joseph Orosz—Bill was a solid citizen of the orchestra. With his trombone in his hand, he performed on over 180 recordings with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Munch, Pierre Monteux, and Erich Leinsdorf, and he also recorded over 600 works with the Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Arthur Fiedler. Bill Moyer played second trombone in the BSO for fourteen years before, in 1966, he became the orchestra’s personnel manager until his retirement in 1987. If I had to characterize Bill Moyer’s trombone playing based on my hearing many of the recordings on which he played, I would call it “solid,” “present,” and “reliable.” In all of this I am offering high praise. As a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s low brass section, Bill was the consummate team player.

Bill Moyer was a very fine trombonist but he never made a solo album and was not widely known as a trombone teacher. That said, Bill Moyer’s impact on the trombone world was dramatic, and his impact on me was profound. Bill Moyer’s story is a reminder that one does not have to be a “famous” player to make a difference.

On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy, President of the United States, was assassinated. It was at about 2:45 pm on that fateful Friday afternoon when word that the president had died was broadcast over the PA system to classrooms in Hewlett Elementary School in Hewlett, New York, where I was a student. My third grade teacher burst into tears. President Kennedy had grown up and lived in Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard University, and been a United States Senator from Massachusetts before he was elected President. The Kennedy family was Roman Catholic, and on Sunday, January 19, 1964, a Solemn Pontifical Requiem Mass was given in John F. Kennedy’s memory in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. The mass was attended by members of the Kennedy family including President Kennedy’s widow, Jacqueline Kennedy; his mother, Rose Kennedy; and the President’s brother, Edward “Ted” Kennedy. The Boston Symphony Orchestra was there, too, to play Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem as part of the service.

Facsimile of the invitation to the Mass for John F. Kennedy, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston, January 19, 1964. This was included in the RCA Victor boxed set of the recording of the Mass, RCA Victor LSC-7030.

The front and back covers of the boxed set of the LP recording of the Mass for John F. Kennedy. Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston, January 19, 1964. RCA Victor LSC-7030.

Mozart’s Requiem was a centerpiece of the Mass for John F. Kennedy. While today, we mostly hear the Requiem in a concert hall, it was originally conceived to be played as part of a church service—a memorial service—with readings from Scripture and other readings interspersed between the Requiem’s movements. After the Requiem Mass on January 19, 1964, RCA Victor released the recording of the service on two LPs accompanied by a large booklet with the text of the service.

Pages from the program for the Mass for John F. Kennedy, included in boxed set of the RCA Victor recording of the Mass for John F. Kennedy.

Page with the listing of Boston Symphony Orchestra members, contained in the boxed set of the recording of the Mass for John F. Kennedy, RCA Victor LSC-7030.

The Mass for John F. Kennedy, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston. January 19, 1964. The Boston Symphony Orchestra and the combined choruses of Chorus Pro Musica, Harvard Glee Club and Radcliffe Choral Society, New England Conservatory Chorus, and St. John’s Seminary Chorus are seated to the left of the altar. (AP Wire photo; Douglas Yeo collection)

The Boston Symphony Orchestra and the combined choruses of Chorus Pro Musica, Harvard Glee Club and Radcliffe Choral Society, New England Conservatory Chorus, and St. John’s Seminary Chorus were assembled to the left of the altar at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra (center right; Erich Leinsdorf, conductor) at the Mass for John F. Kennedy, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston, January 19, 1964. (Photo courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Kennedy Family Collection. Scrapbooks and albums: John Family. Kennedy Memorial Mass, 19 January 1964. KFC-090-001. John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston)

William Moyer (center)playing the Tuba mirum solo from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem. Mass for John F. Kennedy, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston, January 19, 1964. Boston Symphony Orchestra bass trombonist Kauko Kahila is at William Moyer’s right. (Photo courtesy of Frederick Moyer)

In the Boston Symphony Orchestra sat second trombonist William Moyer, who, at the appointed time, played the Tuba mirum trombone solo from Mozart’s Requiem. Trombonists know this solo well. It is among the most famous trombone solos in the trombone’s musical canon. It begins with the trombonist intoning a solemn fanfare with no accompaniment; the trombone represents the sound of “the last trumpet” in the Biblical account of the last judgment (found in, among other places, Matthew 24:31 and 1 Corinthians 15:52). I cannot imagine the pressure Bill experienced at that moment. Anyone who has played the Tuba mirum at a trombone audition has an inkling of what Bill Moyer must have been feeling. But the stakes for Bill were very high: He was not playing an audition; he was playing at Requiem Mass for the slain President that was broadcast live on television and radio. This was not a recording session; it was a live performance. There were no second chances. It is estimated that over 23 million people around the world watched and heard the service on January 19, 1964, and countless others heard it on the RCA Victor LP set that was subsequently issued. It may have been—it probably was—the largest audience to ever hear a trombone solo.

You can hear the Tuba mirum movement from the Mass for John F. Kennedy HERE. Bill Moyer is the trombone soloist. The vocal soloists are Saramae Enrich, soprano; Eunice Alberts, contralto; Nicholas DiVirgilio, tenor; and Mac Morgan, baritone.

As we listen to this, we hear several things:

Erich Leinsdorf’s tempo for the movement is exceptionally slow. In my article, “A Fresh Look at Mozart’s Tuba mirum” (International Trombone Association Journal Vol. 50, No. 1, January 2022), I surveyed tempi of several historical recordings of the Requiem. Leinsdorf’s tempo for the Tuba mirum is the slowest on record: quarter note = 54 beats per minute. Mozart’s tempo of Andante in a movement with a time signature of cut time (the metronome had not been invented when Mozart was alive) has led scholars to coalesce around a tempo of quarter note = 88 beats per minute for the Tuba mirum. Bill Moyer’s breath control in the solo was superb. It is not easy to play the Tuba mirum at this slow, stentorian tempo. Bill’s sound was full, without even a hint of a wobble of nervousness. His pitch was excellent, and he played the solo with a wholly appropriate style for Erich Leinsdorf’s interpretation. When the stakes were the highest, Bill Moyer came through.

The Mass for John F. Kennedy came as Bill Moyer was in his twelfth season with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. During his time as the orchestra’s second trombonist, he played in a brass section along with many other notable players, including, as seen in the photograph below, trumpet players Roger Voisin and Armando Ghitalla.

Boston Symphony Orchestra brass players. Standing (left to right): Roger Voisin (trumpet), Paul Keaney (horn), Armando Ghitalla (trumpet), Harold Meek (horn), Kauko Kahila (bass trombone), William Moyer (trombone). Seated: Kilton Vinal Smith (tuba); Joseph Orosz (euphonium and trombone). Symphony Hall, Boston, c. 1962. (Boston Symphony Orchestra archives)

But there was much more to Bill Moyer than the trombone. He was also a composer.

William Moyer composing while on the Boston Symphony Orchestra Australasian tour; undated photo, 1960. (Photo by George Humphrey; Boston Symphony Orchestra Archives)

Page 1 to William Moyer’s trombone quartet, Worcester. (Courtesy of Frederick Moyer)

Page 1 to William Moyer’s String Quartet, completed January 1961. (Courtesy of Frederick Moyer)

Some of Bill Moyer’s music can be viewed and heard in performance on the website of his son, pianist Frederick Moyer. Click HERE to go the page, “The Music of William (“Bill”) Moyer.” Of particular interest is Bill’s trombone quartet, Worcester. As you can see in the examples above, Bill’s superb musical notation skill mirrored his personality: fastidious and professional, executed with great care.

William Moyer warming up in the tuning room at Symphony Hall, Boston, while Music Director Charles Munch (left) looks on. The bassoonist is Sherman Walt, principal bassoon, who is speaking with Harry Shapiro, second horn. Undated photo. (Boston Symphony Orchestra Archives)

In 1966, William Moyer made the decision to step away from his position as second trombonist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra and accept the position of personnel manager of the orchestra. When Bill left the BSO’s trombone section, Joseph Orosz, who was the orchestra’s assistant principal and utility trombonist starting in 1940, moved to second trombone until his retirement in 1970. In 1970, Ronald Barron joined the BSO on second trombone after Ororz’s retirement, and when William Gibson retired from his principal trombone position in 1975, Ron won the BSO’s principal trombone audition and Norman Bolter won the second trombone position. I joined the BSO in 1985, and the first time I met Bill was at the first of my two auditions for the orchestra in May 1984 (no winner was declared at that audition, and I won the second audition in December 1984).

Even when he was personnel manager of the BSO, Bill played trombone in the orchestra from time to time. For instance, when the Boston Symphony Orchestra toured Europe in 1971, one of the tour pieces was Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 7. William Gibson, who played principal trombone in the BSO at the time, played the tenor horn solo in the first movement, so second trombonist Ronald Barron played first trombone in that movement and Bill played second trombone. Bill then played assistant principal trombone in the other movements.

I had one encounter with Bill Moyer and a trombone in his hands. On August 2, 1986, the Boston Symphony Orchestra was scheduled to perform Carl Maria von Weber’s opera, Oberon. The orchestra was at Tanglewood, the BSO’s summer home, and as the orchestra assembled on stage, Ron Barron and I realized that our second trombonist, Norman Bolter, wasn’t there. This was a time before mobile phones; nobody knew where Norman was. The concert was delayed; no Norman. Finally, Bill, Ron, and I had a conversation—Bill said he would play second trombone. What?! That was quite an offer to help the orchestra in an emergency. Ron got an extra trombone out of his locker, Bill put the mouthpiece to his lips and buzzed a little. The three of us went on stage, and as we got our music out of the folders on our stands, I turned to Bill and said, “Bill, be careful at measures 39 and 40 – we have some octaves to play together.” Bill turned to me with a focused look in his eyes and said, “I know.” Of course he did.

Music Director Seiji Ozawa came on stage and following him came Norman Bolter, running to his position in the trombone section. He had been delayed by bad traffic—REALLY bad traffic—and there was no way to contact the BSO to let them know he would be late. In his words, Norman was “freaking out” the whole time in his car—he was not in the habit of being late to concerts or rehearsals. The look of relief on Bill’s face was priceless, and as he stood up to leave the stage, he looked at Norman and offered a happy whisper, “Thank you, Norman!” As personnel manager, Bill should have had words with Norman after the concert; coming late to a concert was a BIG no-no in the BSO. But that was not to be: Bill was so relieved to see Norman that all was forgiven. While Bill didn’t play a note of that Oberon performance, I will never forget his willingness to step in at the shortest possible notice—and after not playing the trombone for how many years?—and help the Boston Symphony Orchestra in its hour of need.

In 1986, I found the photograph, below, in the Symphony Hall Annex, before the Boston Symphony Orchestra archives was formally established (more on the BSO’s archives below). It shows Bill reading on stage during a rehearsal that was part of the BSO’s 1956 tour of Europe and Russia. It made me smile because I knew how, in his role as personnel manager of the orchestra, Bill strongly frowned upon players reading on stage. But here he was, reading on stage. It was a gotcha moment that, when I shared it with Bill, elicited a roar of laughter from him. Bill didn’t remember what he was reading at that moment but knowing him, it was probably Beowulf, or The Illiad. Seriously!

William Moyer (reading) and William Gibson in rehearsal on stage, Boston Symphony Orchestra tour of Europe and Russia, 1956. (Boston Symphony Orchestra Archives)

Photographs and brief biographies of members of the trombone section of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, from a promotional booklet issued by the orchestra for its 1956 tour of Europe and Russia. (Boston Symphony Orchestra Archives)

Bill Moyer was a superb administrator, and he brought all of his organizational and people skills to his work as personnel manager of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This was not easy. Dealing with 100 musicians, all of whom are supremely talented and have egos to match their talent, presented challenges. Bill was bright, knowledgable, firm, compassionate, understanding, and caring. He and I had countless conversations about a host of musical and non-musical subjects, and will always remember his laugh and smile. Norman Bolter—who enjoyed a very special friendship with Bill—has posted some personal remembrances of Bill in a video (click HERE) and on his blog (click HERE). Take time to read and listen to Norman’s comments; you will get an even greater sense of how Bill Moyer interacted with people.

Biography of William Moyer. Know Your Orchestra (1977).

Biography of William “Bill” Moyer. The Orchestra Book (1983).

In 1985, during my first week as a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, I asked Bill if the BSO had an archive. I was interested in researching the life of trombonist Joannès Rochut, who I knew, through conversations with my colleague in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (where I played from 1981-1985), David Fetter, had played principal trombone with the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1925–1930. Bill looked at me, curled his right index finger, wiggled it a little, and said, “Follow me.”

Bill took me through the basement maze of Symphony Hall to an adjoining building that connected to the Hall. What was then called “the Symphony Hall Annex” (it is now called the Cohen Wing) was a long, two story building owned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra that stretched along Boston’s Huntington Avenue. Bill took out his keys and opened a door. As I peered inside, I felt as if I was viewing King Tutankhamen’s tomb for the first time. Like explorer Howard Carter, I whispered to myself, “I see wonderful things.”

There were photographs, ledger books, musical instruments, and more. The 100 year institutional history of the Boston Symphony Orchestra was before my eyes. But it was a shambles. A jumble of tall shelf units (some 15 feet tall) contained boxes and piles of papers, there was detritus strewn all around the room, a completely disorganized, chaotic mass of papers on the floor, documents pouring out of open filing cabinet drawers. The floor of the room was wet; there was no heating or cooling system. But I knew there were treasures waiting to be found.

I asked Bill if I could look around the room and he did me one better: He gave me a key to the room. “Come here as often as you like. You will find things.” So, I did. And I found things. Many things. For several years, during the break of every rehearsal and intermission of every concert, during my lunch hours at Symphony Hall and during intervals between teaching trombone lessons at New England Conservatory of Music and playing BSO concerts, I went to the Annex, put the key Bill had given me in the door, and immersed myself in the history of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I found treasures beyond measure. And when I found things, I showed them to Bill. He loved talking about the history of the BSO; its players, its music, its tours, everything. I looked through hundreds of photographs, many of which appeared in my photo essay articles that were published in the four journals of record for brass instruments (click on the titles of the articles below to read them):

“A Pictorial History of Low Brass Players in the Boston Symphony Orchestra, 1887-1986,” International Trombone Association Journal, Volume 14, Number 4, Fall 1986.
“Tuba Players of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, 1913-1987,” T.U.B.A. Journal, Volume 14, Number 4, May 1987.
“Horn Players of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, 1881-1988,” The Horn Call, Volume XVIII, Number 2, April 1988.
“Trumpet Players of the Boston Symphony, 1881-1990,” International Trumpet Guild Journal, Volume 15, Number 2, December 1990.

The writing of these articles jumpstarted my interest in doing serious research and presenting my findings in articles and books. While these pictorial articles were not “scholarly” in the sense that the information in them is not cited, they presented a snapshot into the world of Boston Symphony Orchestra brass players since the orchestra’s founding in 1881. I can trace my interest in and discovery of the richness of the history of the BSO and the world of brass players to that moment when Bill Moyer gave me a key so I could paw around in a room in the Symphony Hall Annex.

Draft memo (incipit) by Douglas Yeo to Daniel Gustin, acting managing director of the Boston Symphony, on the subject of establishing an archive for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. April 24, 1987.

But there was much more that came from my time in the Annex than writing those four articles. I began to make the case to the Boston Symphony’s management that it was vitally important to establish a proper, formal archive, with a full-time, paid archivist, so the BSO’s remarkable history could be properly preserved. I talked with Bill about this and he encouraged me to meet with others at the BSO who also had an interest in an archive. In early 1987, shortly before Bill retired from the BSO, acting managing director Daniel Gustin asked me to join with three other BSO staff members—Steven Ledbetter, Bruce Creditor, and Eleanor McGourty—and make a proposal to him about establishing an archive so he could present the idea to the orchestra’s Board of Trustees. The memo that I prepared after the meetings of our group of four—dated April 24, 1987—became a template for the hiring of a full time archivist, Bridget Carr, and the establishment of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Archives. While I am proud of my involvement in bring the BSO’s archives to life, it was Bill Moyer who gave me the opportunity to see the need and its importance. In August 2024, I flew to Boston for a one day research trip in the BSO’s archives, in the midst of my research for my upcoming article about Joannès Rochut that will appear in the January 2025 International Trombone Association Journal. Have a look at THIS ARTICLE I wrote on The Last Trombone about that trip, the BSO archives, and Rochut.

Trombones by Lefèvre that were owned by Joannès Rochut.

Bill did another extraordinary thing for me that related to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s history. As I explored the room in the Symphony Hall Annex, I came across two trombones by the French maker, Lefèvre. I immediately recognized one of them as similar to a trombone that Joannès Rochut held in several photographs I had found of him that were taken during his time as principal trombonist of the BSO. I brought the instruments to Bill and asked if he knew anything about them. “Bill smiled, and sighed, “Yes, those trombones were owned by Rochut. Somewhere there was a note about that but the last time I looked for it, I couldn’t find it. Several years ago, the trombones were put up for auction at a BSO fundraising event, ‘Symphony Sunday.’ Someone bought them for a pittance but the winner of the auction never came to collect them. Officially they are no longer property of the Boston Symphony; they were sold. So, I think you should have them and take care of them.”

I was stunned. Trombones owned by Joannès Rochut? Even though Bill told me I should have the instruments, I never considered that they were mine. I took them home for safekeeping, and purchased cases for them. Before I retired from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, I entrusted the instruments to BSO principal trombonist Toby Oft and second trombonist Stephen Lange. I did not “give” the instruments to them; I “entrusted” them. These instruments are part of the BSO’s history, cared for at this time by current trombonists in the orchestra, but they will always be handed down to subsequent trombone players in the orchestra. The instruments are treasures.

William Moyer backstage on the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s tour of Japan, February 1986. (Photo by Douglas Yeo)

I took this photo of Bill (above) on the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s 1986 tour of Japan. Here he was, backstage at a concert hall, his makeshift office set up on top of some violin travel trunks. This is a side of Bill we all knew: industrious and focused.

William Moyer and Norman Bolter on a train during the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s tour of Japan, February 1986. (Photo by Douglas Yeo)

On the other hand, the photo above captures one of my favorite memories of Bill. I took this photo of Bill and Norman Bolter on a bullet train in Japan on the BSO’s 1986 tour. Norman and Bill had a very special relationship. It was more than a “second trombone player thing.” They shared a lot of conversations about music and life, and I don’t think I ever heard Bill or Norman laugh louder or smile more broadly than when they were talking together.

William Moyer and Kauko Kahila, backstage at Tanglewood, summer 1987. (Photo by Douglas Yeo)

Bill Moyer decided to retire from the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1987; he was 58 years old. He had served long and well, and as a fellow trombonist, I thought he deserved a proper farewell party. Our BSO low brass section organized a party for Bill. We invited Bill and his family, and we also invited his BSO colleagues from his playing days in the orchestra, William Gibson and Kauko Kahila. We had the party at Seranak at Tanglewood, the BSO’s summer home. Along with Ron Barron and Chester Schmitz (Norman Bolter was unable to attend), we spent an afternoon and evening sharing stories and enjoying a fine meal together.

One of Bill’s duties as personnel manager of the BSO was to let conductors know when it was time for a break in a rehearsal and when the rehearsal was over. Bill’s eye always had to be on the clock. Bill would usually come on stage a few minutes before the appointed moment and get the attention of the conductor. But when it came to dealing with Leonard Bernstein, there were challenges. Lenny did not care what the clock said. And, as a result, he and Bill knocked heads more than a few times over the end of rehearsals and overtime. As I wrote in my post on The Last Trombone, “The Leonard Bernstein I knew”:

As personnel manager of the BSO, one of Bill’s many duties was to come on stage just before the end of a rehearsal and give the conductor “a significant look,” which indicated that the rehearsal was going to be over in a matter of minutes. Overtime was expensive and was very rarely granted to conductors. Of course, Lenny wasn’t just any conductor, and when he was around, the clock was always covered. Bill would come on stage and give Lenny “the look” which Lenny would ignore, the rehearsal would continue past the designed ending time (at which point—with overtime beginning—players would whisper, “cha-ching!”, the sound of a cash register opening), and Bill would walk off stage. But union rules said that after 25 minutes of overtime, the rehearsal HAD to stop for a five minute break. So when Bill would come on at the 25 minute mark and clap his hands and the orchestra would get up and leave the stage —sometimes in mid-phrase—Lenny would throw a little tantrum. Of course, Bill was only doing his job and Lenny knew it, and there was no personal acrimony between the two of them despite Lenny’s histrionics.

When Bill announced his retirement, I got the idea to write to Bernstein and ask if he would write a short note to Bill that I could read at his party. A few weeks later, I opened my mail to find a handwritten letter from Lenny (above) with a few lines of verse to Bill and a personal note to me. I gave the original to Bill but I kept a photocopy for myself. In his signature scrawl, Lenny wrote:

Fontainebleau, Bastille Day, ’87

Leonard Bernstein

There is a fine fellow named Moyer

A red-blooded kid, like Tom Sawyer- – –

But some things one hears

make one prick up one’s ears. . .

If you want to know more, call my lawyer.

Love, Lenny B

14 Juillet ’87

P.S. Sorry for the belatedness; your letter just caught up with me –

When I read Lenny’s playful poem at Bill’s party it was met with laughter and smiles. It was great of Lenny to take the time to scribble a few words for his friend/nemesis.

Tribute to William “Bill” Moyer written by Leonard Bernstein on the occasion of Moyer’s retirement from the Boston Symphony Orchestra. July 14, 1987.

Boston Symphony Orchestra low brass players at a retirement party for William “Bill” Moyer. Standing (left to right): Chester Schmitz (tuba), Ronald Barron (principal trombone), Douglas Yeo (bass trombone). Seated (left to right): William Gibson (principal trombone), William Moyer (second trombone), Kauko Kahila (bass trombone). Seranak at Tanglewood, summer 1987. (Photo by Patricia Yeo)

William Gibson, William Moyer, and Kauko Kahila at Bill Moyer’s retirement party. Seranak at Tanglewood, summer 1987. (Photo by Douglas Yeo)

In retirement, Bill continued to engage in many activities that made a difference in the world. Among them was ongoing work with Project STEP (String Training and Education Program) that he founded in 1982. Project STEP continues to provide training for young players of color from underserved communities. The program has been highly successful, with Project STEP graduates now serving as members of symphony orchestras, as soloists, and educators.

Betsy and Bill Moyer in Symphony Hall, Boston, with Project STEP alum Tony Rymer. (Photo courtesy of Project STEP)

Bill Moyer’s 95 years among us were well-lived. He is survived by his wonderful wife of 72 years, Betsy, and children, grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. Bill made a significant impact on Boston’s musical life, and on the lives of countless professional, amateur, and student musicians. With his trombone in his hand, he brought music to millions of people through his concerts, recordings, and radio broadcasts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra—none more significant than his performance of Mozart’s Tuba mirum at the Mass for John F. Kennedy on January 19, 1964—and his humor, wit, and care for and of others will be remembered by all those whose lives intersected with his. I count myself fortunate to have been Bill Moyer’s friend, and we do well to honor his memory.

Three Boston Symphony Orchestra second trombone players: (left to right) William Moyer (1952-1966), Ronald Barron (1970-1975; then principal trombone 1975-2008), and Norman Bolter (1975-2008). Photograph taken at a gathering of Boston Symphony Orchestra retirees, c. 2011. (Photo courtesy of Norman Bolter.)

Christmas 2024

by Douglas Yeo (December 24, 2024)

Tomorrow is Christmas, and like millions of people around the world, our family will be celebrating tonight at a Christmas Eve church service. We’ll be at our church, New Covenant Church of Naperville, Illinois. Tomorrow brings together family, food, and the sharing of gifts. For our family and other Christians, the most important thing about Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ who is truly “the reason for the season.” In 2018, I wrote an article on The Last Trombone about Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. Click on this sentence and have a look at that post that tells the Christmas story through photographs of Bethlehem that I took when my wife and I visited there in 2016.

Also at this time of year, music fills the air and family traditions are celebrated yet again. When our family lived in the Boston area during the years I was a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, one of our traditions was for all of us to attend a Christmas Pops concert played by the Boston Pops. We held that tradition every year I played in the orchestra (the Boston Pops Orchestra IS the Boston Symphony Orchestra), and we started a new tradition over our last few years in Boston: the annual Christmas Revels. I also conducted the New England Brass Band from 1998-2008, and we performed an annual series of three or four concerts of Christmas music, a tradition that we still remember at this time of year. These musical traditions were fun and inspiring.

Since we moved to Illinois in 2018, I’ve enjoyed a new tradition: playing Christmas concerts with the great brass quintet, Boston Brass, and the Brass All-Stars Big Band they put together for their concerts each December. This year was the third year I was asked to play Boston Brass’ show, Christmas Bells are Swingin’! With family members in attendance, it was a real joy to bring this music—including a lot of the classic Christmas carol arrangements written by Stan Kenton and Ralph Carmichael—to appreciative audiences.

Boston Brass and the Brass All-Stars Big Band, Palos Hills, Illinois, December 19, 2024. Left to right: Domingo Pagliuca (trombone, Boston Brass), Megan Boutin, Douglas Yeo, William Russell (tuba, Boston Brass), Dan Hostetler (drums), Eric Morong (percussion), David Cutler (piano), Rick DeJonge (conductor), Joey Tartell (trumpet), José Sibaja (trumpet, Boston Brass), Rex Richardson (trumpet), Jeff Conner (trumpet, Boston Brass), Rick Castellanos (horn, Boston Brass), Sandra Donatello (horn), Alex Love (horn). Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, Illinois, December 19, 2024.

Program for the concert with Boston Brass and Brass All-Stars Big Band, Christmas Bells are Swingin’! Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, Illinois, December 19, 2024.

Our trombone section was terrific. Domingo Pagliuca and I have been friends for many years—like brothers. Spending time with Domingo is always a joy. And this was the first time I played in a section with Megan Boutin, assistant professor of trombone at East Texas A&M University. She’s a superb player and our section gelled just right. What fun it is to play with such fine players like Domingo and Megan!

Douglas Yeo, Megan Boutin, Domingo Pagliuca, and David Cutler. December 19, 2024.

Every year since 2012, I’ve posted a poem at this time of year, A Visit from Santa Claus to a College Trombone Player. I wrote this for my students at Arizona State University, during the first year I taught there (from 2012-2016). If you’re new to The Last Trombone, you’re a trombone player, or you know a trombone player, I hope this makes you smile. Yes, Santa plays trombone. There’s even a song about that.

Merry Christmas, friends.

A Visit From Santa Claus to a College Trombone Player

T’was the night before Christmas and all through my home,
All the horns were in cases, including trombones.
For after the finals and juries and tests,
It was time for some shut-eye; I needed some rest.

I was dreaming of straight mutes and pBones and more,
When I woke to a sound that I’d not heard before.
And what should I see on my roof up on high?
A Moravian choir, with trombones playing fine.

Alessi and Lindberg, Kleinhammer and Yeo,
Were all playing their horns, their heads covered with snow.
And who should be leading this heavenly band?
But old Santa himself, a trombone in his hand!

“On JJ! On Jörgen! On Tommy, and George!”
This band was so sweet, I sure did thank the Lord!
“On Norman and Pryor, Jen, Melba, and Frank!”
Some others played, too, but my mind drew a blank.

I grabbed my trombone and I lubed up the slide,
With no time for a warm-up, I hurried outside.
The gang was all playing some mighty nice tunes,
And we jammed some cool charts by light of the moon.

I invited them in just to warm up their chops,
But they just kept on playing, man, this sure was tops!
Saint Nick put his horn down to fill up my stocking,
With valve oil, and slide cream, CDs – so inspiring!

In time, things wound down and they packed up their horns,
And the sleigh got revved up and was heavenly borne.
But Santa looked back, and he said with a smile,

“Merry Christmas to all, and don’t forget to keep practicing even though you’re on vacation!”

— Douglas Yeo (with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)

A message of hope and good news—told with a trombone

by Douglas Yeo (December 17, 2024)

When I was at work on my book about Homer Rodeheaver (Kevin Mungons and Douglas Yeo, Homer Rodeheaver and the Rise of the Gospel Music Industry, Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2021)— Rodeheaver was the trombone-playing song leader for the Christian evangelist Billy Sunday in the first third of the 20th century—a side aspect to my research was an investigation into the work of many other trombonists who used their trombones to play sacred music and share the good news of the Gospel. There have been many of them. For instance, Cliff Barrows, who knew Rodeheaver well and who was the song leader for Billy Graham for many years, played the trombone:

Cliff and Billie Barrows with Billy Graham, c. 1948. Wheaton College Archives and Special Collections.

Others made recordings of gospel music with a trombone in hand, including Joe and Marion Talley (their name is misspelled on the cover of this album, below):

Joe and Marion Talley, In the Spotlight. WORD WST-8037 (1960)

. . . Marcy Tigner:

Marcy Tigner, Marcy Tigner Trombone, Christian Faith Recordings 351 (1961)

. . . Sam Salter:

Sam Saltar, Still Trusting Jesus, Glory Records GL-151

. . . Tom Dale:

Tom Dale, In Session, Sacred Manuscripts Record Productions AR-5005

and Bill Pearce:

Bill Pearce, The Remarkable Trombone of Bill Pearce, WORD WST-8312 (1964)

There are also many superb recordings with enthusiastic playing of the trombone shout bands that rose in the United House of Prayer for All People:

The Tigers Trombone Shout Band, Dancing with Daddy G, Fire Ant 1004 (1993)

In recent years, Megumi Kanda (principal trombonist of the Milwaukee Symphony):

Megumi Kanda, Amazing Grace, Victor VICC-60316 (2002)

Megumi Kanda, Gloria, Albany Records TROY694 (2004)

. . . Wycliffe Gordon

Wycliffe Gordon, The Gospel Truth, Criss Cross Jazz 1192 (2000)

. . . and I have released albums of hymns, gospel songs, and spirituals.

Douglas Yeo, Cornerstone, Die letzte Posaune CD93175 (2000)

I’m at work on an article about “The Gospel Trombonist,” but with several other writing projects in the pipeline, that article won’t appear for a while. But the subject is on my mind because Christmas is around the corner, and the ubiquitous sound of Salvation Army bell ringers and brass players fills the air at shopping centers, supermarkets, and malls. The work of the Salvation Army to preach the Gospel and help the less fortunate—what Jesus Christ referred to as, “the least of these” (Matthew 25:45)—is well known. The Salvation Army’s motto is, “Doing the most good.” We should also remember that in addition to its religious and humanitarian work, the Salvation Army was also influential in the rise and influence of the brass band movement in England and around the world.

A little history: In 1878, William Booth’s Christian Revival Society—founded in the East End of London in 1865 and later called the Christian Mission—changed its name to The Salvation Army. In that same year, a brass quartet of two cornets, valve trombone and euphonium formed by itinerant preacher Charles Fry and his three sons began supporting outdoor meetings of the Salvation Army in Salisbury, England. Booth, who had long harbored ambivalence toward musical groups accompanying singing, quickly realized the value of an ensemble of brass instruments in helping to attract a crowd, and others would learn from this example. By the following year, organized brass bands had become an integral part of Salvation Army worship and evangelistic efforts.[1]

The Salvation Army has also published a tremendous amount of music for brass band, brass ensemble, and solo brass instruments, and it has released many recordings of its music, including the popular series with a jazz trombone ensemble, Spiritual to the Bone:

Spiritual to the Bone, Salvation Army USA South CRD018 (1993)

But there was someone who was first among the many high-profile, trombone-playing representatives of the Gospel message, and we do right to remember him.

Rev. Wilson Carlile, c. 1900

Into the environment of brass playing that was popularized by William Booth in England came Wilson Carlile (1847–1942).[2] Carlile was ordained a deacon in the Church of England in 1880 and served as a curate to the Vicar of Kensington. He began holding open-air evangelistic meetings in an effort to reach people who otherwise might not enter a church. Unlike William Booth–who broke from the Methodist Church to set up his own denomination–Carlile worked within the Church of England to overcome denominational resistance to his desire to be a missionary to the slums of London. In 1882, Carlile resigned his formal position with the Church of England and formed The Church Army, with himself at its head while he and The Church Army maintained close ties with the Church of England.

As a child, Carlile’s first musical instrument was a toy drum that he later put down in favor of the trombone. He admitted his trombone playing was less than accomplished, as when he related a story of an argument over his drum with one of his sisters that resulted in the instrument breaking and inflicting a deep wound on his hand:

I’m afraid that some of my friends today, persecuted by the trombone, wish my early musical talent had received an even sharper lesson.[2]

While the Salvation Army fully embraced the presence of brass instruments during their worship services, and by 1879 brass bands were being organized in many churches [3], Wilson Carlile was, at first, somewhat of an enigma to the Church of England. In an article from 1900 that was headlined, “Newest and Strangest Ally of the Dignified Old Church of England,” Curtis Brown reported the strange occurrence of a trombone in the pulpit in “the haughty old Church of England”:

That most dignified, serious and conservative of institutions, the Church of England, has taken into alliance a man with a trombone, who horrified the stately Bishops at first by carrying his instrument into his pulpit and playing it right lustily, too. . . .The man with the trombone typifies this queer army which is beginning to attract general attention. He has played that trombone in the streets, in saloons and in dance halls, and has had it pretty badly battered in many an encounter with toughs. He was laid up six months after one such fight, and he and his trombone had to be patched before they could get into line again.[4]

“Preachers in their Pulpits: The Rev. Wilson Carlile of the Church Army.” The Tatler, No. 109 (July 22, 1903)

The sight of Wilson Carlile marching around London in his clerical frock while playing his trombone achieved its desired effect. The parade of curiosity seekers that followed Carlile to St. Mary-at-Hill on London’s Love Lane experienced a church service like no other. As Homer Rodeheaver was to do later, Carlile adopted the “magic lantern,” an early form of projector that displayed large images on a large white sheet above the church’s altar. These projections were, in the main, of Biblical characters and scenes, but Carlile also engaged in social commentary, showing the contrast between slum life and the “palaces of the rich.” Carlile also employed a large phonograph during services, a “monsterphone,” from which which emanated sermons by other preachers including the Archbishop of Canterbury as well as an occasional Sousa march.[5] “This,” Carlile’s biographer wrote, “had the effect of driving away all orthodox people in horror, and attracting the loafers from the street, who warmly supported the new form of service long before it received a friendly smile from the Bishops.”[6] Carlile’s message of the Gospel changed lives.

Wilson Carlile. From: Edgar Rowan, Wilson Carlile and the Church Army (London: The Church Army Bookroom, 3rd edition, 1926)

Newspapers across the United States ran articles about Carlile and his unconventional evangelistic outreach. The Louisville Courier-Journal devoted an entire page to the “Man with the Trombone and His Great Army: Newest and Strangest Ally of the Dignified Old Church of England.” [7] The Chicago Daily Tribune painted a vivid picture of Carlile’s use of the trombone as a tool for reaching audiences with his evangelistic message:

The real power of the man behind the trombone is illustrated in the career of the Rev. Wilson Carlile of England, the head of the Church Army. He began his career with a broken-winded harmonium, but he soon found that to reach the masses he must have a trombone. For eight years he has blown that trombone. He has blown it in streets, saloons, and dance halls, and has horrified the stately Bishops by sounding its sonorous blasts in the pulpit. Occasionally the roughs of London have objected to his music, and then he and his trombone have been laid up for repairs, both badly battered. . . . The man with the trombone is an indefatigable worker. . . . He plays on his trombone. He exhorts. He sings. He makes things generally lively in the pulpit. He gathers his audience for the night service by marshaling his band and choir, which he heads with his trusty trombone, and makes a procession through the streets near his church, blowing lustily. The crowd follows him. At each saloon the march halts, while the trombone man drags out three or four habitués who join the procession. When he gets back and sounds the first blast in his pulpit, the church is packed. . . .

All this is the work of the man behind the trombone, and for the possibilities that lie in that much-maligned instrument let all trombone players be respected. They are not as bad as they look. In the hands of a man truly great the trombone is more powerful than the sword.[7]

Wilson Carlile. From: A. E. Reffold: The Audacity to Live: A Résumé of the Life and Work of Wilson Carlile (London: Marshall, Morgan, & Scott, 1936)

Now, as Christmas approaches and the sound of brass instruments is in the air, we look at Wilson Carlile—and many others—who joyfully brought—and bring—the Gospel message of hope and good news to a hurting world with a trombone in hand, a message that came to us 2000 years ago in a manger in Bethlehem, to change lives and bring true, lasting peace (Luke 2:14).

• • •

NOTE: Here follows the full text of the article about Wilson Carlile that was referenced above, “The Man Behind the Trombone,” from the Chicago Daily Tribune, March 4, 1900. Notes for this blog post about are found at the end of the Chicago Daily Tribune article.

[1] Ronald W. Holz, Brass Bands of the Salvation Army: Their Mission and Music. Volume 1 (Stotfold, Herts.: Street Publishers, 2006), 63–74.

[2] Edgar Rowan, Wilson Carlile and the Church Army, 3^rd ed. (London: Church Army Bookroom, 1926), 5.

[3] Ronald W. Holz, Brass Bands of the Salvation Army: Their Mission and Music. Volume 1, 69.

[4] Curtis Brown, “Man With the Trombone and His Great Army: Newest and Strangest Ally of the Dignified Old Church of England,” The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), February 25, 1900.

[5] Stephen Bottomore, “Projecting for the Lord: The Work of Wilson Carlile,” Film History, Vol. 14, No. 2, Film and Religion (2002), 199-200.

[6] Edgar Rowan, Wilson Carlile and The Church Army, 60.

[7] “The Man Behind the Trombone,” Chicago Daily Tribune, March 4, 1900.