"Broadway Spectacular" - a spectacular success
Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th July saw Unley Concert Band team with the renowned Tutti Ensemble to present a rousing concert of Broadway favourites to an appreciative, supportive crowd in Elder Hall at the University of Adelaide. Everybody was in high spirits leading up the first performance on the Saturday night and, despite an unfortunate hitch with the elevator in Elder Hall on both performances, the performances were a great success. Unley Concert Band were proud to be able to accompany such an accomplished and spirited choir and the vocal soloists who performed with the band gave some tremendous performances. Congratulations also go to UCB flautist, Hannah Reid, who bravely stepped up to the microphone to sing 'Bill' from Showboat.
UCB looks forward to future endeavours with this wonderful ensemble and commends all involved for a fantastic collaboration.
To read a review from Glam Adelaide, click here.
What's Coming Up At UCB
Unley Concert Band will be performing on Sunday 8th August at the Strathalbyn Band Festival in the 'antique capital of Australia', Strathalbyn, hosted by the town's resident concert band. This two-day annual event features 20 concert and brass bands from all over the metropolitan area, each playing a 25min set of entertaining music for an enthusiastic audience. Unley will be performing at 12.00pm, followed by the annual band lunch. Tickets ($7) can be purchased at the door. Please contact Brenton Hocking at Strathalbyn Concert Band for more details on 08 8536 4306 or email: brentonhocking@bigpond.com
The band will then be in full swing, preparing to compete in the South Australian Band Championships to be held on Saturday September 18th 2010 at Tanunda. This championship coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Tanunda contests in which Unley will be participating in the Concert Band divisions. In addition to the annual State contest, SABA has announced a Centenary Entertainment Contest is to be held at the Brenton Langbein Theatre, featuring several selected bands battling it out for the title and a large cash prize. Unley has been invited to perform at this event. Details of the other bands who will be invited to perform at this event will be available in the near future.
Unley Concert Band will also be participating in the street march competition under the leadership of Drum Major Jeff Hale and will begin marching practices in the near future.
For more information on the State Championship events, please check out the SABA website.
Please make sure that you keep these dates free in your diaries!
Have you booked your tickets yet???
Rehearsals are well under-way for the upcoming Broadway Spectacular concerts with the Tutti Ensemble to be held at Elder Hall on Saturday 3rd July at 7:30pm and Sunday 4th July at 2pm. It is proving to be a very exciting venture for both ensembles and looks to be a great evening of toe-tapping tunes and powerful musical theatre ballads from the golden age of Broadway!
Book now - don't miss out! Click here for booking details.
Success once again at the SABA Solo and Party Championships
UCB was, again, very successful at the Solo and Party Championships on Sat June 19th 2010 at Prince Alfred College. Many of the band's competitors were successful in winning or placing in their sections and the various Unley ensembles also finished with some impressive results for the day.
Congratulations go to the following competitors:
- Janet Stone - 1st place Open Novice
- Bronwyn Kenny - 1st place Open Bass Trombone
- Lisa Blinco - 1st place Open Flute
- Nicole Molloy - 1st place Open Clarinet
- Sarah Byron - 1st place Open Saxophone
- Timothy Frahn - 1st place Open Trumpet
- Tanika Richards, Janet Stone, Stephen Jarman and Nicole Molloy – 1st place Open Quartet
- Sonia Radford, Corinne Teng, Brian Green, Anna Coppens, Nadia Henriks, Nicole Molloy and Janet Stone - 1st place Open Ensemble
- Janet Stone, Liz Thompson, Michaela Scherer, Margaret Chittleborough and Al Kidney - 1st place Open Quintet
- Tanika Richards - 2nd place Open Flute (on piccolo)
- Andrew Heuzenroeder - 2nd place Open Clarinet
- Kirby Heath - 2nd place Open Saxophone
- Andrew Edgeworth - 2nd place Open Trumpet
- Corinne Teng - 2nd place Open Percussion
- Janet Stone, Nicole Molloy and Margaret Chittleborough - 2nd place Open Trio
- Hannah Reid - 3rd place Open Flute
- Georga Byron - 3rd place Open Clarinet
- Sonia Radford - 3rd place Open Percussion
- Sarah Byron and Kirby Heath - 3rd place Open Duet
Thank you to all our competitors for some fantastic performances all round and to the contest convener Bronwyn Dolman for her excellent organisation of this year's event. Thanks also go to our hardworking accompanists, Tanika Richards (who accompanied 8 other people in addition to competing in solo and party events!), Anna Coppens, Corinne Teng and Richard Blinco.
Stay tuned for news on the Champion of Champions event which several of our winning competitors will be battling it out for the Concert Champion of Champions title.
A Broadway Spectacular!
Unley Concert Band and the Tutti Ensemble will be joining forces on Saturday 3rd July 2010 at 7:30pm and Sunday 4th July 2010 at 2pm at Elder Hall to present an evening of great Broadway hits! The evening will feature the Tutti choir and soloists, accompanied by the band with music arranged and orchestrated by Bill Broughton.
The evening will be musically directed by Dr Kevin Cameron and the MC for the evening is Peter Goers.
Featuring some of the best loved hits of the musical stage, this show is sure to get your toes tapping!
Tickets are $35.00 Adults, $30.00 concession, available from Venue Tix (Ph: 08 8225 8888).
Australian Nationals 2010
With a great sense of pride and anticipation, members of the Unley Concert Band ventured to the 2010 Australian National Band Championships at Easter, held in the picturesque city of Hobart. For months, the band had been rehearsing their Nationals programme, including the test piece, 'Dutch Masters Suite', by Johan de Meij. The piece, though a little abstract, provided a great challenge to members. In the wonderful Federation Concert Hall, the band performed the piece together with the hymn, 'They Led My Lord Away' Gordon arr. Allen, the 'Fifth Suite For Band' by Alfred Reed and march, 'Glorious Victory' by W M Kendall before an appreciative audience and respected adjudicator and composer of the test piece, Johan de Meij. Two other bands, Derwent Valley Concert Band (Tasmania) and Anderson Junior College (Singapore) competed in the Open B Grade Concert section, with Anderson College winning the category. Unley Concert Band placed 2nd, which was a satisfying achievement. Many thanks must go to Dr Kevin Cameron, our Music Director, for his tireless efforts in bringing the band to such a high standard for the performance.
After months of hard practice, the band also featured in the Parade of Bands on Saturday 3rd March 2010 which was held in the Hobart CBD. The band presented very well at inspection (with a score of 17/20 - a very good effort considering many band members were new to the inspection process) and then marched tremendously well, securing first place in the Open Concert category. A great deal of credit for this is owed to Drum Major Jeff Hale, the winning Drum Major for Open Concert Band who organised a marching workshop with interstate marching adjudicators in the lead-up to the event. Well done Jeff!
Finally, success was also achieved in the solo and party events held on Easter Monday with many of the UCB competitors placing in their sections. Congratulations go to the following players for some fine performances at a National level.
- Unley Concert Band Quartet (Tanika Richards, Janet Stone, Stephen Jarman, Nicole Molloy)
- Unley Concert Band Brass Quintet (Sarah Butler, Andrew Edgeworth, Paul Hampton-Smith, Bronwyn Kenny, Chris Koop)
- Sarah Byron - Junior Alto Saxophone (placed 3rd)
- Georga Byron - Junior Baritone Saxophone (placed 2nd)
- Bronwyn Kenny - Open Bass Trombone
- Tanika Richards - Open Piccolo (placed 2nd)
- Kirby Heath - Open Tenor Saxophone (placed 2nd)
Bring on the 2011 Nationals in our home state!
Pre-Nationals Concert 2010
Unley Concert Band will be performing pieces from their Nationals 2010 program at the Unley Town Hall on Sunday 28 March at 2:00 pm.
The program will include:
- The Dutchmasters Suite (de Meij)
- Fifth Suite for Band (Reed)
- Glorious Victory (Kendall)
Nationals 2010 Update
Unley Concert Band is beginning to focus on preparations for the upcoming B Grade National contest on Saturday 3rd April 2010 in Hobart. This includes several extra half or full day rehearsals in the next two months for all involved. One of these rehearsal days includes a full day marching workshop with two internationally accredited drill adjudicators on Saturday 27th February. The purpose of this workshop is not only to perfect marching technique for our usual marching engagements but to polish the band's drill and marching technique for the upcoming Street March competition in Hobart. It is a privilege for us to be able to learn from their knowledge and experience. Please make sure you make yourselves available for these great opportunities to enhance our performance in both the marching and stage competition at Easter. If you have any questions regarding the marching workshop, please contact Drum Major Jeff Hale.
Vice-Regal Reception at Government House
Unley Concert Band was recently privileged to be invited to a Vice-Regal Reception at Government House on Monday 8th February 2010 to celebrate the band's achievements of recent years. The 45-strong band proudly marched up the driveway of Government House to the front door where we performed the Vice Regal salute for His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce and his wife Liz Scarce. The band was then welcomed inside Government House where the His Excellency kindly spoke of the band's 2009 Anzac Tour and particularly our contribution to the Dawn Service in Villers-Bretonneux on Anzac Day. Among the noted guests attending the reception were The Honourable Michael Atkinson MP, The French consul and City of Unley Mayor Richard Thorne. It was a honour to be invited to attend such a prestigious event.
"Swerve" - That's a wrap!
UCB's recent foray into movies recently came to a conclusion this month with a large contingent of the band filming several scenes for the South Australian film "Swerve" which will star a number of well-known Australian actors. The band filmed their marching scenes on 11th and 12th January, the first day in a sweltering 46 degrees, the second in the pouring rain. Due to the latter being delayed due to wet roads, the casting directors were treated to a personal performance of 'Thriller' by the band which received much enthusiasm! The band has since received very positive feedback from the crew and producers of the film who were full of praise for UCB's professionalism and cooperation. Thank you to all involved and particularly to those members who have recently filmed subsequent scenes in February on behalf of the band.
"Swerve" - UCB to become movie stars!
The band is one of a few South Australian bands to be participating in a film shoot of the feature film "Swerve", an outback thriller, for the South Australian Film Corporation. A portion of the marching band will be filming on January 11-12 in the north of Adelaide, a rare and exciting opportunity for the band. Details at present are not confirmed but all members participating will be required in full uniform with instruments. The list of members selected to participate has been emailed but if you are not sure of your participation, please contact Jeff or Brendan.
Reception at Government House
Unley Concert Band have been invited to attend a Governor's Reception at Government House on Monday 8th February 2010 in recognition of the band's contributions to the commemorative events in France and Belgium in 2009. The band will perform a march up King William Street from the Torrens Parade ground to Government House before attending the very special invitation only function. More information will be provided in the near future as it becomes available.
Unley Concert Band Christmas Wrap
Unley Concert Band finished off 2009 with a busy schedule of pageants and performances. The band participated in six pageants over the Christmas period - Credit Union, Glenelg, Norwood, Blackwood, Mt Barker and Mannum, the latter including a very relaxing social barbeque by the River Murray. Thank you to everybody for their dedication to the pageant season, to Jeff Hale and especially to Maurice Lateu for his hard work in organising these pageants this year.
The band then finished off the year with a very exuberant concert with the renowned Tutti Ensemble at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Community Centre, Henley Beach on Wednesday 16th December 2009. Playing to a packed house, the choir and band were given a rousing reception by the enthusiastic audience and it was a fun (and sometimes challenging) combined portion of the concert. Thank you to our Music Director Kevin Cameron and Tutti Artistic Director Pat Rix for allowing the band the opportunity to be involved in this Christmas concert. A great end to a very busy and memorable year for the band.
**Newsflash** Unley Concert Band and the Tutti Ensemble to collaborate in an exciting BROADWAY SPECTACULAR at Elder Hall on 3-4th July 2010 with featured soloists. Lock it in your diaries!
Australian National Band Championships 2010
In 2010, UCB will be stepping up their rehearsal schedule in preparation for an appearance in the B Grade section of the Australian National Band Championships in Hobart, Tasmania at Easter. This will include several rehearsal days/weekends in the first few months of 2010, including marching rehearsals as the band will possibly also compete in the Street March event. Please make sure these rehearsals are cleared in your diaries. First rehearsal for the year will be on Wed 13th January - we look forward to seeing you all there.
Golden Oldies World Hockey Festival 2009
Unley Concert Band will, this weekend, provide music for the opening ceremony of the Golden Oldies World Hockey tournament on 20th September 2009 at 5:00 pm, courtesy of band librarian/flautist/hockey player Janet Stone.
The performance will consist of a short concert of entertainment music next to the Adelaide Convention Centre for the 900 hockey players from 12 different countries. The marching band will then lead the procession of local, interstate and international hockey players down next to the Torrens River to King William Street and on to Adelaide Oval. The performances look to be a fun engagement for the band and we look forward to another successful marching performance under the direction of Drum Major, Jeff Hale.
Recruitment
Players of woodwind/brass/percussion at approx Grade 5 level welcome for 2008/09
The Unley Concert Band is currently seeking expressions of interest from players of all woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments to join this successful banding team. In particular, players are especially welcome in the following sections:
- Oboe
- Clarinet
- Bassoon
- Saxophone
- French Horn
- Percussion
We currently have a band membership of over 50 musicians. If you would like to join us, please contact Richard, the band secretary.