An Army in Conflict: The Changing Musical and Cultural Identity of the Salvation Army in Australia

Abstract

In 1878 at Salisbury, England, four men gathered with their instruments to accompany the singing at a Salvation Army ‘open air’ and inadvertently formed the first Salvation Army brass band. From its earliest days, The Salvation Army has enjoyed a particularly strong musical heritage. Brass bands quickly became the aural signature of The Salvation Army as the sight and sound of brass instruments and songster brigades would capture the very essence of Salvationism for generations of Salvationists to come.

However, as congregational attendance has lessened over the past thirty years, traditional Salvation Army music-making practices such as brass bands, songster and timbrel brigades, have slowly diminished in size. As liturgical music tastes shifted toward a more contemporary band setting, local corps (churches) now incorporate worship music that has been sourced from other church denominations, defined by some as ‘non-Army’, removing the demand for traditional music-making practices; ultimately changing the musical landscape of the Salvation Army in Australia as they cater to local expressions of Salvationism. Yet, as Salvation Army musicians contend with these obstacles, many musicians have found creative ways of reproducing and experiencing their musical heritage in new and innovative forms.

This thesis explores how salvationists maintain their ‘salvoness,’ their social and personal investment in an internally coherent sense of collective identity, through music-making activities and what forms this may take at present. Based on extensive multiyear, multisite ethnographic fieldwork, this thesis examines the familiar constructs of tradition and change, how change has been experienced, and how many Salvationists choose to explore different ways of musiking as they express the sounds of their Salvation Army, Australia.