Take-Over Bid

The Beginning

The story of Take Over Bid began on a weeknight in 1966 at the West London Divisional Headquarters. Present were two young captains - John Gowans from Kingston Upon Thames Corps and John Larsson from Hillingdon Corps - along with National Youth Secretary Denis Hunter, Lt-Col Samuel Lynn, and John & Ivy Plant from Reading Central Salvation Army.

"Bramwell Booth in his memoirs said of the early days of the Army: 'We had to build the ship while we were at sea.' The phrase can certainly be applied to the making of Take Over Bid." — General John Gowans

The Challenge

The group was tasked with developing ideas for the 1967 International Youth Year. After rejecting an Oberammergau-style production as too heavy, someone suggested creating a "Salvation Army Guys & Dolls." When the writers reported limited progress a month later, Denis Hunter delivered the words that would change Salvation Army musical history:

"I hear what I hear with great disappointment, I do not have it in me to write one note of music or one sentence of stage direction but you two can do it, please don't ask me to accept your decision as final." — Denis Hunter

The Vision

The writers established clear parameters for their groundbreaking work:

"The musical had to be lively, colourful and happy. It had to say something to both non-Salvationists and Salvationists. It had to be capable of production under the most varied circumstances-by large groups, small groups on stages, on platforms, anywhere. It had to fit into a time limit of about 2 hours and had to say something related to Youth Year and yet at the same time be of permanent interest." — From 'Sing The Happy Song' by Colonel Brindley Boon

The Creation Process

The development was intense and often challenging. As General Gowans later recalled:

"I was trying to launch a Christian Stewardship programme at Kingston and at the same time be a good pastor to my flock and follow a course of study at King's College, London University. It is incredible what a 32-year-old captain can do with 24 hours daily, but I discovered there were limits."

The West London Division assembled 60 young Salvationists for the cast, beginning rehearsals with only one song written. The creative process was often uncertain:

"Sometimes songs came easily, at other times inspiration seemed to dry up. Now and then we would teach a new song to the cast and the silence in the home-going car would speak volumes. We would know instinctively that the 'new creation' was no good and agree to abandon it." — General Gowans

Official Support

Commissioner William Cooper emerged as a crucial champion of the musical. When Salvationist Publishing and Supplies rejected the musical, claiming no market existed, Cooper took bold action. Using his authority as Territorial Commander, he bypassed the International Music Board and authorised the National Youth Department to publish it.

The Premiere

The first performance at Butlin's Holiday Camp in 1967 proved to be a watershed moment. The cast faced a daunting audience of 1,600 British officers:

"The youngsters felt that they were being thrown to the lions. In the first 20 minutes of the presentation about half a dozen officers walked out of the building feeling that the whole thing was too worldly and unworthy of the Army." — General Gowans

However, the tide turned dramatically:

"The officers, veterans and youngsters alike, sat through the eighteen songs, lapping up the humour, prayerfully accepting the challenge of the more sombre scenes, and taking readily to this new means of reaching the masses with the gospel. As the last exciting chord of the final chorus lingered in the air, the huge audience jumped to its feet, its applause revealing approval, its tears expressing the might moving of the Spirit." — From 'Sing The Happy Song'

The Royal Albert Hall Triumph

The musical reached its pinnacle at a historic Royal Albert Hall performance. The combined casts of West and South London performed to a packed house, with General Frederick Coutts presiding. The impact was profound:

"As the cheers died away, he stepped forward to make a sensitive appeal to dedication, and hundreds of young people came forward. Cast and stage staff, along with the writers, were all weeping at the sight of what God can do with the dedication of amateurs." — General Gowans

Legacy and Impact

Take Over Bid's influence extended far beyond its initial run. During the 1967 International Youth Year, it was performed in two-thirds of British divisions and translated into several languages. Additional performances were given worldwide, including at the Tivoli Theatre in Sydney, where nearly 2,000 people attended.

The musical's success established a new format for Salvation Army ministry and launched the prolific partnership of Gowans and Larsson, who would create nine more musicals together. Their collaboration became even more remarkable as both men would later serve as successive Generals of The Salvation Army.

Even 35 years after its debut, the musical continued to speak powerfully to new audiences. As Colonel Brindley Boon noted:

"The 10 musicals created by John Gowans (script and lyrics) and John Larsson (music) are now deeply embedded in Salvation Army folklore. The fact that the author and composer became successive Generals makes the story even more incredible."