The St. George Brass Band is a musical brass band affiliated with the Syriac Orthodox Church of St. George in the village of Zaidal, Homs. It is also known as the St. George Scouts and the Fantasy Soldiers Band, in reference to the church's patron saint, St. George.
Founding:
The St. George Brass Band was founded through the dedication and support of the late Father Anton Jarada, the parish priest at the time. It was established in response to the church's need for a brass band to participate in various church ceremonies, similar to many neighboring churches and regions. The band's formation was announced during the First Communion Mass in July 2000, after which preparations for the first training session began. The training was led by local instructors, Mr. Sami Kassab and Mr. Bassam Aroush, as well as instructors from neighboring brass bands such as the Virgin Mary Scout (Um Al-Zinnar) and Fairouzeh Band 23. The first training session took place on September 30, 2000, attended by 500 young men and women. The band initially had 8 brass instruments, 6 tambourines, a drum, and a cymbal. The band's first public performance was during a Mother's Day celebration in March 2001, greeted with applause, cheers, and tears of joy. Its official debut performance was on Palm Sunday, April 15, 2001.
Band Participation:
The name of the St. George Brass Band has shone since its founding. Despite being relatively new, the band has participated in many local and international events. These include the Karam Festival in Zahle, Lebanon, in 2003, the Oak Festival in Mashta Al-Helou in 2004 and 2006 (winning third place in 2004), and the silver jubilee of the late Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, held in Ma'arat Saidnaya in 2005. Locally, the band has participated in festivals such as the Feast of the Virgin at Um Al-Zinnar Cathedral, the Feast of Prophet Elijah in Fairouzeh, the Seddad Festival of Heritage in the town of Saddad, the Feast of Saint Mar Elian Al-Sheikh in Al-Faheela, and the Christmas Festival in Al-Mahatta neighborhood in Homs. The band also took part in the first global Syriac Scout gathering organized by the Syriac Scouts Association in Sweden (SOSF) in Lebanon in 2019. Additionally, it played a role in establishing the Syriac Syrian Scouts and participated in all its activities, including the Musical Expertise Exchange meeting at the Monastery of St. Ephrem in Ma'arat Saidnaya in 2021, the first scouting course in Aleppo in 2022, the first musical meeting and joint performance on the occasion of the Feast of the Virgin at Um Al-Zinnar Cathedral in Homs in 2022, and the second musical meeting and joint performance marking the 100th anniversary of the Urfa migration to Aleppo and the reopening of Aleppo churches after their restoration in June 2024. The band also took part in the third scouting training course for pre-leader training at the Monastery of St. Domit in Al-Maqabra, Homs, from September 12-17, 2024.
Band Activities:
The band is known for playing at various events and participating in both joyful and sorrowful occasions in the church and village. It has also organized two festivals for the Feast of St. George in 2017 and 2021, with the participation of other brass bands from the diocese. Annually, the band holds a Christmas carnival on Christmas Eve, where they decorate cars and other vehicles, wear costumes, and perform Christmas music. For several years, the band has organized a reenactment of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday. Recently, the band has performed two musical shows: the first on May 1, 2023, to mark the church's centennial celebration, and the second, a Christmas-themed show called "Fantasy Soldiers," in December 2023. The band has also presented the traditional Zaidali wedding twice, first at the church's centennial festival in the church courtyard in May 2023, and again at the cultural center theater in Homs on May 26, 2024.
The Band Today:
The band currently consists of approximately 260 members of various ages, divided into four brass instrument groups, five percussion groups, and a scout group for younger members. The band is constantly striving to develop both musically and in scouting.
