Manuscript Musings: Andrew Wainwright

Andrew Wainwright is a composer who has made waves in recent years, particularly in Salvation Army circles, and someone whose music I really enjoy playing. His name though was brought to the forefront of people’s thinking over the last twelve months with two of his pieces being selected for major contests. First came Variations on Was Lebet, selected as the First Section Areas test piece in March this year. It was, I think, very well received, and certainly one I enjoyed getting my teeth into. There was a great bass trombone part with a proper chance to contribute and, overall, I loved it, and not just because it happened to deliver my first ever contest win. Then, not long after, came the news that Beyond the Falls - The Smoke that Thunders had been chosen as the First Section test piece for the National Finals in September. This is a very different piece, posing a very different set of musical challenges.

The genesis of this interview had been a simple reflection on an Areas test piece but instead turned into an opportunity to discuss and understand the motivations and creative drivers of one of the movements leading contemporary composers as well as a closer look at the ideas and thinking behind his two compositions selected as test pieces in 2026. 

Background and Beginnings 

Currently soldiering at Norridge Citadel Corps in the Chicago Suburbs, Andrew’s upbringing and life and career as a musician is steeped in Salvation Army influences. As an ‘officer’s kid’, his childhood overseas and exposure to musicians from a variety of backgrounds and cultures had a profound impact on him. “I was born in St Leonards, on the south coast of England”, he explains, “but spent much of my early life in Africa, in Kenya and Zimbabwe. My parents were stationed there through their work as Salvation Army officers, and it was there that I was first introduced to Salvation Army music, and in particular brass bands. We would often listen to recordings of the International Staff Band and Canadian Staff Band, and as my father was the Bandmaster at our corps (firstly Nairobi Central and then Harare Citadel), I couldn't wait to learn an instrument and be able to one day join the senior band. When I was aged 8 or 9 a Young People's Band was started at Harare Citadel and a number of young people, including myself, learnt to play. 

That started what has been a lifetime of music making within The Salvation Army”. Like so many brass musicians both Salvationist and non-Salvationist, Andrew was taught and mentored by an experienced figure within his band. “I was taught the cornet initially by a gentleman by the name of Erik Theinhardt, an Argentinian Salvationist who was also the YP Band Leader at Harare City Corps and was much loved by the young people he took under his wing” he remembers. “Later I was taught by another Salvationist at our corps, Gordon Howard, who instilled a discipline in me which was to prove useful later in my life as a brass musician!. 

!It was really the visit of the impressive Kinshasa Staff Band in 1990 for The Salvation Army's Centenary Celebrations in Zimbabwe that gave me the bug for music making though and helped me realise this was something I wanted to do”. Now living in the USA, Andrew certainly has experienced much of what the world can offer and although the move would bring its own challenges, Salvation Army life once again provided a sense of continuity. “Even though I've lived in four countries now (so you'd think I'd be used to it!), I wouldn't say the process of moving countries is an easy one” Andrew reflects. “Being away from friends, family and basically everything you know can be challenging, but it was made a lot easier by being involved in Salvation Army life (both as a Divisional Music Director and at my corps), and that certainly helped with the transition. That's one of the blessings of The Salvation Army - you can get off a plane in another country and invariably there will be someone you know, or certainly who knows someone you know, and have an instant connection with them”.

An insight into life as a composer 

Composition has become central to Andrew’s musical identity, though it wasn’t always the obvious

path. His journey into writing began gradually, shaped by curiosity and encouragement. “I don't know that it was necessarily a lightbulb moment, but my earliest recollection of having an interest in writing music was on holiday when (presumably because I was bored!) my Dad suggested I copy some music out of the SA tune book” he remembers. “I don't know why we had the (Salvation Army) tune book with us on holiday, but it meant I was able to write my first notes down. I soon realised I had a fascination with how music looked on the page, and how that translated into sound. It wasn't until I was probably 12 that I wrote my first piece though, and realised there was a passion inside of me to create new music. 

That early experimentation soon developed into something more intentional as Andrew began to discover the love of the art of writing music. “I love that what you are doing can connect with and touch people's lives in a very real way, and that you never know who is going to play or hear your music, or where in the world” he explains. “Composing allows you to use your imagination to the full, and there is something special in knowing that real live musicians will be getting inside the music that you're putting on paper (or into a computer). There are also endless possibilities and roads that you can go down, and limitless sound combinations that you can create, which makes it hugely exciting. For Andrew, inspiration often comes from personal experience, moments that resonate emotionally and, most clearly, his faith. “It is hard to separate my faith from music, and really the two go hand in hand” he explains. “I believe God has given me this gift and so I need to use it to the full and give it back to Him. I'm not a great preacher, but through music I can tell stories that I never could with words. There is also something uniquely special about creating something that aids someone in their spiritual journey and touches a person at a deep level. So, I view my writing as a ministry, whoever or whatever it is for”.

When it comes to his compositional process, Andrew finds consistency across genres, even if the tools evolve slightly. “My process is mostly the same whatever the genre or type of ensemble. I almost always start by experimenting at the piano, jotting down notes until I come up with something that I think has some potential. I will then write a few bars at a time with pen and paper, then input it to Sibelius so I can hear it back”. He is careful, however, not to rely too heavily on digital playback, as “it can be misleading, but hearing it back does help inspire me to hear what should follow, and it also means I'm not limited by my piano skills if a passage is particularly difficult to play. Where my process does differ now depending on the genre, is that I like to use sound libraries (real live recorded sounds) to sketch with. Because they are so realistic sounding, I think this helps a great deal with writing for the particular medium you're writing for. So, for example, if I'm writing for strings, I'll use a string library because the timbre is so different to that of a piano, that it actually changes the way I write. The same goes for vocal, or brass”.

It is fair to say that Andrew has multiple creative talents, and his field of expertise expands beyond music. “I'm fortunate to be in a position where I don't just rely on composing as an income, as I also work in the field of graphic design and run a music publishing company (BrookWright Music)” he explains, “and this helps create variety and mix things up somewhat. But in terms of the composition side of things, what will normally happen is an ensemble or concert organiser will come to me with a proposal for a commission. Often, they will have a specific idea in mind for what type of piece and length it needs to be, and sometimes for what occasion, and that will inform what considerations I need to have for the piece”. 

He is then able to build this into his own routines and rhythms. “I typically find my best ideas come in the morning, so I will normally set aside time then to compose” he reflects. “My least productive time is usually after lunch, so I use that time for admin or other tasks, then I start to get more productive again late afternoon and evening, so will often go back to writing then”. Change is constant though and, as technology develops, it’s important to adapt your processes. “Another aspect that has come into the life of a composer (and publisher) more recently is that of audio mock-ups using sound libraries, and in recent years I've taken the opportunity to learn some new skills in audio mixing. I find it's important that you're able to present your work to conductors (and also potential customers) if you're able to give them highly realistic audio representations. I also find sound libraries deeply satisfying to work with, and actually the process quite therapeutic as it requires less creative energy than composing does!”

Creativity though is not a tap that can be turned on and off or, indeed, left running, and an understanding of self, and self care, is important on days when the creative spark might not be there. Experience and understanding help Andrew in these instances as “I find it to be less of a problem these days as I can normally trust that my experience will help me come up with a solution, particularly given the number of pieces I constantly have to work on. But every now and again it can prove a challenge, and I usually find the best solution is to occupy myself with something else or go for a walk or run. If I have a tight deadline, then there's not much substitute than hard graft and experimenting until you come up with something that works. As I mentioned above, often playing around with different sounds other than the piano will help inspire creativity, or listening to some music by another composer”.

Variations on Was Lebet

Variations on Was Lebet was written seven years ago, but it was its selection as a 2026 test piece that brought it to the attention of the banding community, certainly those not involved with Salvation Army bands. “Variations on Was Lebet was the first set of variations I'd written, and I was inspired to write something in the genre of works like Laudate Dominum (Edward Gregson) or Purcell Variations (Kenneth Downie) for example” Andrew explains. “To me there was something especially appealing about taking a tune and giving it various different treatments so, in a way, this piece is my take on that form. “The tune Was Lebet is one that had been in the back of my mind for some time” he reflects. “It was probably one that I’d sung in school assembly and certainly played in the band on a Sunday morning at church. It is, I think, a very strong tune, both melodically and harmonically, and contains a number of possibilities for a set of variations. I especially like the bass line, the suspensions and flattened 7th in the 3rd phrase that help give it a real sense of line and shape. It also has a relatively quick harmonic rhythm, in that the chords change on nearly every beat. These days many contemporary hymns/songs only have chord changes once a bar, which I think makes them less satisfying” he admits. 

“I also find the words especially powerful and gratifying, and each verse has a different mood and character which I've also tried to reflect in the set of variations”. And whilst it proved a successful and popular test piece, this was not the original intention. “Unlike most of my more recent works, this one was not a commission and was not written for any band or occasion in mind - it was just something I wanted to write” explains Andrew. “So I was able to take my time over it, and discard sections that weren't working as well as I would have liked. In the end it actually took the best part of a year to write, with a break of a couple of months in between. I did mostly have a clear vision from the start of how it was going to pan out - for instance I knew it would have a waltz, fugue and more reflective movement".

"At its core, Variations of Was Lebet unfolds through a series of contrasting moods, each reflecting different ideas and sentiments drawn from the hymn text. “With the opening, I was imagining big organ-like sounds, as if you were standing in a cathedral with trumpets and trombones playing in antiphony” he explains. “The first variation is quite different - classical in approach, and you can almost imagine it being played by a string orchestra. Variation 2 is quite melancholy in feel and reflects on the words of the 2nd verse: ‘…comfort thy sorrows and answer thy prayerfulness, guiding thy steps as may best for thee be.’ Variation 3 is volatile in nature, describing the fearful times in life that we must entrust to the Lord. The music is always on edge during this section and never quite settles, and the abrupt ending suggests a sense of our completeness in Christ yet to be resolved".

"For Variation 4, I wanted to convey a sense of humour, and this comes in the form of a somewhat quirky waltz in the style of French Romanticism, which I hope gives soloists the chance to express themselves. As well as having never written a waltz before, I'd also not previously composed a fugue, and so wanted to challenge myself here. So, the 5th variation comes in that form. Again, I felt there were definitely elements of the hymn, and also some of the material that comes before in the piece, that lend themselves to a fugue. Something that I aimed to achieve was to gradually reveal fragments of the hymn as the piece went along, but never the entire tune. I liken it to standing next to a tall building and gradually moving backwards to reveal a full perspective. Perhaps there's a yearning from the listener's point of view to hear it in full, and so when it does come in the final section it should have more impact as a result, and in some ways a sense of relief and fulfilment". 

The process of having a work selected as a test piece can take a number of routes, from direct commission through to submission or selection of an existing piece, each bringing its own experience and challenges. “There are typically three ways” Andrew notes. “You can be commissioned to write a specific piece for a contest, you can submit a piece to the panel, or an existing piece can be selected and the latter was the case with Variations on Was Lebet. I was fortunate that it was selected for the Dutch Nationals in 2024 and was able to go over to Utrecht for that event. Having it selected there I believe brought it to the attention of the UK panel for the Regionals contests. On both occasions, and for the other test pieces I've selected, you will normally receive an email with the news, and then have to keep it quiet, sometimes for several weeks, until it's officially announced! This can be tricky because the rumour mill gets into full swing! There's certainly something special knowing that so many conductors and players will be pouring their lives into a piece and analysing every detail. I can think of few examples in the music world where it happens to that degree. It's always an honour to have a piece selected for a contest and I don't take it for granted.

Beyond The Falls - The Smoke that Thunders

The origins of Beyond the Falls are born from Andrew’s lived experiences as a child growing up in Africa, and having had the opportunity to visit Victoria Falls on multiple occasions. “I've been back more recently to both Zambia and Zimbabwe, and I have to say, seeing it first hand is still one of the most awe-inspiring things I’ve ever experienced” he reflects. “Growing up, I was fascinated by the story of David Livingstone’s journey to discover the falls, and that childhood inspiration never really left me”.

It was an inspiration which came back to him when, in 2012, the GUS Band got in contact. “They needed a finisher for their Brass in Concert programme” Andrew explains. “A piece based on Livingstone’s story fit their theme perfectly, giving me the ideal excuse to finally put it to music. I called it The Smoke That Thunders. While most of the music is entirely original, I wove in two traditional tunes: the Scottish folk song "A Man’s a Man for a' That" (which Livingstone allegedly hummed to keep his spirits up on the trail) and the hymn "Lord, Send Me Anywhere," which Livingstone actually composed himself”. The opportunity to develop the idea further came a few years later. “When the chance came up recently to record a CD of my music with the Black Dyke Band, we decided to expand the work into a major test piece. Out of that collaboration came the version that was selected for the National Finals: Beyond the Falls – The Smoke That Thunders”. 

The approach for this piece was quite different as it's really programmatic music (music that tells a story), whereas Variations on Was Lebet featured a number of contrasting variations on a single theme. Beyond the Falls takes the listener on a journey, depicting a number of images such as skirmishes with local tribes and wild animals, as well as exploring Livingstone's internal struggles and self doubts about continuing his journey. Then the finale describes his heroic journey along the Zambezi River en route to discovering the falls. There are a number of solos featured, which describe Livingstone's loneliness, but also his sense of adventure and bravery”.

The big question with Beyond the Falls is where the real challenges lie for bands, and which moments are likely to separate the very best performances from the rest. “I think Beyond the Falls is a very challenging piece in many ways, and there is no shortage of traps for competing bands” Andrew says. “Probably the most obvious hurdle is the sheer technical facility required - it demands a lot of notes and absolute precision. But what will really separate the top performances I think are the rhythmic puzzles. The piece relies on complex, syncopated, and shifting rhythms that require absolute mathematical precision. If a band loses concentration for even a second, the ensemble will get loose very quickly”. And this is where the challenge, and the fun, begins as “players will need to fully internalise their rhythms rather than just reacting to what they hear around them. It’s a big test of internal pulse, section listening, and stamina. Ultimately, the bands that can conquer these technical minefields while still bringing out the dramatic, narrative colours of the music will be the ones that succeed”.

While Beyond the Falls presents plenty of challenges for performers, it also offers moments of real creative reward for both the players and, crucially, Andrew. “Like most composers I’m my own harshest critic, so I don’t consider a piece finished until I’m genuinely happy with it” he admits. “But there are definitely moments where everything just seemed to fall into place exactly as I’d hoped. For instance, I’m really fond of the revised opening. Passing the narrative around various soloists felt like the right way to set the scene and draw the listener into the journey. I also had a lot of fun writing 'The Battle'; the rapid interplay between different players around the stand created exactly the kind of energy I was aiming for”. Being able to add more shape and colour provided satisfaction too as, “on a more lyrical note, the newly added slow melody - which opens with a serene cornet solo - is a personal favourite because it provides a moment of genuine calm amid the storm. And finally, watching the rhythmic games in the last movement transition from the page into live performance is incredibly satisfying. It’s always a treat to see how bands tackle those playful, complex moments”.

A Bit of Fun

If you could have coffee with one composer, past or present, who would it be, and why? 

There are so many, but if I had to narrow it down probably Gustav Holst. I would love to pick his brains on his inspiration behind The Planets Suite in particular.

If you could meet any Salvationist figure from history and ask them one question, who would you 

choose and what would you ask, and why? 

Aside from meeting William Booth, who I'd love to ask about how he sees The Salvation Army of today compared to the one he originally envisaged, I'd probably say Eric Ball. I was a young boy when he passed away and never got to meet him. I think it would be fascinating to find out his process to writing pieces like Resurgam, Journey into Freedom and The Kingdom Triumphant.

What is your favourite piece of Salvation Army music and piece of non-Salvation Army music and why? 

This changes all the time, but at the moment I'd probably say Victorian Snapshots on Ratcliff Highway. It was so revolutionary in its approach and so vivid in the pictures it paints. It's timeless music. Non-SA wise, I especially enjoy Extreme Make-over by Johan De Meij. I love the way it builds from a single note into something so complex and exhilarating.