CONCERT BAND TAKES OFF WITH A ‘BLAST’
Our Bay Islands now has a Concert Band!
It is the SMBI Community Concert band conducted by Dave Wellman, who has been a professional trumpet player for many years in orchestras, show bands and musicals.
He also has experience as a trumpet teacher and conductor and is the current conductor of the Redland City beginner band.
The growing group recently gave their inaugural performance at a pre Christmas Bernie’s Twilight market on Macleay Island, and other island performances leading into Christmas.
The band started rehearsing in September and they played their first concert under a marquee on the lawn outside the Macleay island Progress Hall.
This happened while market goers listened, apparently they liked what they heard!
The concert bank played tunes such as When the Saints Came Marching In and What a Wonderful World.
The SMBI Community Concert Band has 26 members at the present time and is looking to grow.
Instruments so far include brass, woodwind (flutes), keyboard and percussion.
Band administrator Eve Newsome told The Friendly Bay Islander: “Yes we can always have more – we need woodwind, brass and percussion players from beginners to experienced players and all ages are welcome.
“The rehearsals are timed in with the ferries so that musicians from all islands can attend. Music is provided by us but musicians need their own instruments.
“There is a mixture of all kinds of people in the band from all the islands whose common interest is music, so it is a lot of fun to play together and to get to know each other,” she said.
The band practices on Sundays from 2.00-3.30pm at the Macleay island Progress Hall during school term time.
The ferries from all islands time in with the schedule so it works really well as an all-island band get together.
The band SMBI Community Concert is supported by a Regional Arts Fund Grant.
The new island concert band performing on the Macleay Island Progress hall green.
