What next for the Mitcham Band festival, we all ask ourselves. Every year it just seems to get bigger and better.
While the Gala Concert on Friday evening is an occasion to marvel at the skills of top SA bands, Saturday is a true manifestation of all that is best about community music making. Everyone is included and made to feel welcome. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with friends over coffee and cake, to chat to Simon from Presto Music about the latest developments in instrument manufacture (I loved the bright red plastic flugel horn, and I’ll take his word for it that a plastic French horn can sound really quite good) and to listen to our fellow musicians perform in a non competitive atmosphere, just for the sheer delight of music making. And the latest innovation for 2019? Brass Banned streamed the whole event to audiences in destinations as far-flung as Brazil, Sweden and China.
The introduction to Campbelltown’s segment was a bit daunting. We are proud of our recent promotion to C grade, but (fortunately for some of us) A grade may be a step too far! Highlights of our performance included Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy which show-cased a line-up of cornets across the front of the stage – and well done Viv for not tripping up over the name. Slow and steady does it!
Julie Dorey’s solo in The Mission moved our MD so much that he forgot to acknowledge her performance and Gary Boland’s Lazy Trumpeter was anything but. Star Wars and Reet Petite provided a rollicking finale to an entertaining and varied programme.
Many thanks to David Blakey for helping out on trombone and to Viv Little for acting as compere.
Above all, though, thanks to Mitcham Band and the many volunteers who made the event possible. Now see what you can do to amaze us all in 2020.
Friday 21st June
7:00 PM – South Australian Schools Concert Band
7:35 PM – Mitcham City Brass
8:15 PM – Australian Army Band Adelaide
8:50 PM – Tanunda Town Band
9:40 PM – Adelaide Big Band
Saturday 22nd June
9:00 AM – City of Adelaide Concert Band
9:55 AM – Para Hills Brass Band
10:35 AM – City of Holdfast Bay Concert Band
11:30 AM – Second-Wind Ensemble
12:10 PM – Campbelltown City Band
1:05 PM – Kensington & Norwood Brass
1:45 PM – Adelaide German Band
2:25 PM – West Torrens Concert Band
3:20 PM – Burnside Youth Concert Band
4:15 PM – Onkaparinga City Concert Band
4:55 PM – Hahndorf Town Band
5:50 PM – Coast & Vines Music Club
6:30 PM – Payneham City Concert Band
7:25 PM – Adelaide Wind Orchestra
8:20 PM – Salisbury City Band
9:15 PM – Unley Concert Band
