Curbside Carols Fill North Texas Air
The iconic Christmas scene of a Salvation Army brass band standing on a snowy street corner stretches back to the organization’s earliest days in London. Texas may not have the snow, but if you find yourself in and around the Dallas area in December, you might see or hear a Salvation Army band delivering Christmas cheer literally at people’s front doors.
In mid-December 2020, prompted by the ongoing COVID pandemic, a brass ensemble of Salvationist musicians started Curbside Carols, a weekend ministry to support The Salvation Army’s year-round work in the area. The outreach continued in 2021, where a minimum donation of $50 paid for three Christmas carols at a location of the donor’s choosing.
Last year, two weekends of Curbside Carols, totaling 31 individual performances, raised close to $8,000.
“This idea has been really well received. Most people who scheduled us for 2020 did so again for Christmas 2021,” said Philip Burn, Bandmaster of The Salvation Army brass band in Lewisville and organizer of Curbside Carols. “We’ve played for outdoor neighborhood parties, at retirement homes, and as a gift to friends who perhaps needed a little encouragement after a difficult year. The reaction of people, especially the children, has been wonderful. They are so surprised to open their doors and find a live Salvation Army brass band playing their favorite Christmas songs.”
Plans are in place for Curbside Carols again this Christmas, so listen for the live sounds of The Salvation Army band spreading a bit of “Joy to the World!”