Jim Gordon, the exemplary conductor of Jubilee Brass says, “I have pleasure in His service more than all, yes, more than all”

This pretty much sums up his life and his service to his Lord and to the Salvation Army. 

It seems that, ever since Jim was able to sit up and take nourishment,  he held either a cornet or a baton in his hand. Music, you see, is in his genes, his DNA. 

Jim was born in Woodstock, Ontario to parents of solid Scottish Salvationist stock putting to rest the question as to why he features our bagpipe player on virtually every JB program. 

Jim’s parents made an immediate impact on the Woodstock Corps. Arriving with solid qualities of a bandmaster ‘back home’, Gordon Senior became the Woodstock Songster leader for 19 years following as bandmaster for 17 years. A short term as YPSM spanned these two commissions. Jim’s mom sang in the songsters and served as LOM secretary for many years dating back to 1931, a year after they arrived in bonny Canada. 

Taught by his dad, Jim took up the cornet and played his first solo at six years of age. At nine years of age, during world war two, his emerging talents were required on the second cornet bench in the Woodstock senior band. Jim tackled the second series journal material with enthusiasm, confidence and skill. His first solo with band accompaniment was ‘Mighty to Keep’. Many young budding cornet players cut their teeth on that one. 

Jim journeyed to Jacksons Point music camp for four years being exposed to the leadership of great homegrown and international leaders who were also Christian gentlemen. Those influences made a marked impression on this young boy and it was there where he made a commitment to follow Christ, a commitment that has lasted to the ‘present age’. Jim remembers the thrill of playing the Festival number “The Old Wells” while taking his place on the front solo cornet bench.

Jim’s dad was his main mentor but if you’ll click on the personnel section of this web site you will see, on his profile, many other influential tutors.

Over the years many doors of opportunity to share music and God’s word have opened up to Jim. One of his greatest thrills was the Woodstock’s ten day tour of Jamaica in 1965. He was the featured cornet soloist on that tour presenting ‘Jubilate’ (Gullidge) and ‘Sunshine and shadow’ (Soderstrom). Two others joined him in the trios ‘The Veterans’ and ‘The Trumpeters’. The latter he still likes to take at a breathtaking clip leaving his partners gasping for air.

During the week in Jamaica the band split up into two groups, his dad’s group covering the south shore and Jim’s taking the north shore with the plan to meet up again on the Friday in Montego Bay where they were to play a concert in an air conditioned auditorium. The decision was to discard the ‘light’ whites in favor of the ‘heavy’ navy blue uniforms only to discover that the air conditioning consisted of a ceiling fan. Big mistake. 

Jim not only plays the cornet and wields the stick in front of a brass band but he has also served as a deputy songster leader for ten years followed by 45 years as songster leader. During these 55 years he’s also led the band in four different time frames, including the last 18 years. His blood bleeds navy blue with white trim.

Jim can also slip onto the piano or organ bench as needed playing by ear as well as by music. This talent was developed after only three years of lessons.

Jim has been privileged to serve as guest conductor at music camps in Canada and the USA helping young people in their music and their own spiritual pilgrimages. He also tutors young people in his own Corps.

Bandmaster Gordon held this position with the Ontario West Divisional youth band for 12 years taking them on tour in the United Kingdom in 1992 sponsored by the Bristol Easton Corps and to Milwaukee in the USA.

Jim’s role in Jubilee Brass progressed from the solo cornet bench to deputy bandmaster and then to bandmaster holding that position for the past five years.

Now, lest you think that Jim has spent all of his time making music, let’s check out his work history, his career as a wage earner. His music making wasn’t putting that many groceries on the kitchen table.

Jim graduated from high school and began work as an office boy for a transport company working his way up the ladder to manager of input data. After 23 years this company moved their head office to Toronto.

Not wishing to move his family he found that an opening had come up in a facility that housed 900 handicapped people. He applied, was hired that same day and began work two weeks later. He thanks Major Gordon Wilder with making some effective contacts for him. He keeps that same Major, now retired, right under his nose in the horn section of JB.

In his position in the aforementioned facility he commenced as office manager of finance and administration while studying with the Canadian management institute. He worked for the Government ministry of community and family services for 23 years until they downsized in March of 1996, closing the facility.

In managerial positions during most of his career he was in great positions of influence where people could observe and appreciate his solid Christian standards. On one occasion that he can recall he and a group of managers were meeting with the owner of the transport company. While waiting for the meal drinks were being served and they weren’t cokes or ginger ale. One manager kept pressing Jim to indulge. The owner happened to overhear the pressure and in a loud voice exclaimed, “You know Jim’s stand on these matters and I don’t want to ever hear you say that to him again. We respect his decisions”.

That sentiment expressed by the transport company manager goes for the members of JB as well. The band respects the man.

The band respects his leadership.

The band respects his Christianity and his Salvationism and is always ready, under his baton, to ‘play the music, play’.