Living History is an ongoing series showcasing just a small assortment of the more than 350,000 items housed at The Salvation Army Heritage Centre in Toronto. This month, we spotlight an important piece of Salvation Army musical history.

The Montreal Citadel march is considered a Salvation Army brass band classic.

Bandmaster Norman Audoire of The Salvation Army’s Montreal Citadel composed the march. The original score was presented to J.J. Gagnier, director of music for the CBC. Published in 1934, it was first played on the Robin Hood Flour show and aired from coast to coast.

On October 4, 1943, the RCAF Band played the concert arrangement by Herbert Spencer, chief arranger for the CBC, at the 61st annual Salvation Army congress in Montreal. The band was under the leadership of Flight Sergeant C. Freibert, and famed First World War flying ace Billy Bishop, now an air marshal, was in attendance. The march was played as a tribute to the work of The Salvation Army with the Canadian troops fighting overseas.

In May 1976, retired Flight Lieutenant Carl L. Friberg, who had been given the original handwritten score, passed it along to the Montreal Citadel Band for safekeeping. From there, it was later donated to the Heritage Centre.

Photo: The Archives of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory