Aug 26
Wednesday
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KBM runners up at ABC competition
Five Victorian A Grade Brass Bands played live to air on The Evening Show hosted by Derek Guille on 774AM Radio. The Iwaki Auditorium, Southbank as a great venue allowing the bands to fill the room with their rich resonant sounds.
Kew Band Melbourne as first up and opened with the famous Stan Kenton tune Malaguena arranged by Black Dyke's principal tenor horn Sandy Smith. A surprise sax solo by a very talented year 9 boy from Wesley College Glen Waverley whipped the audience into a frenzy of energy and excitment.
KBM featured Ian (flugel horn) in a lovely rendition of Rodrigo's Concerto de Aranjuez. At the age of three Rodrigo lost his sight almost completely as a result of an epidemic of diphtheria. As he himself was later to affirm, this event undoubtedly led to a vocation towards music. From the outset of his career Rodrigo wrote all his works in braille, dictating them subsequently to a copyist.
This arrangement of Concerto de Aranjuez was based on the version made famous by Grimethorpe Colliery Band in the film Brassed Off.
Kew Band ended their selection with with THE UNKNOWN, the final section from the A Grade Test piece Music of the Spheres. This section questions whether our continually expanding exploration of the universe will eventually lead to enlightenment or destruction. Philip Sparke the composer has based this piece on a theory, formulated by Pythagoras, that the cosmos was ruled by the same laws he had discovered that govern the ratios of note frequencies of the musical scale. (‘Harmonia’ in Ancient Greek, which means scale or tuning rather than harmony – Greek music was monophonic). He also believed that these ratios corresponded to the distances of the six known planets from the sun and that the planets each produced a musical note which combined to weave a continuous heavenly melody (which, unfortunately, we humans cannot hear). In this work, these six notes form the basis of the sections MUSIC OF THE SPHERES and HARMONIA.
After having won three years straight it was with some reluctance that Kew Band reliqinshed the red cornet trophy to be replaced by the runners up shield. Aug 22
Saturday
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KBM WINS the Victorian State Championships
Hear Kew Band Melbourne playing Kenneth Downie's gentle and touching arrangement of the hymn tune In Perfect Peace. KBM won both the overall competition and the Hymn. Hawthorn Band won the Test piece closely followed by Kew.
Venue:
Wendouree Performing Arts Centre,
1220 Howitt St,
Wendouree, Ballarat.
7.00 pm
July
2009
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Kew Band Melbourne in the latest VB advertisement
The Kew Band can be seen making a cameo appearance on the new VB television advertisement. Filmed on a cold, windy day in Ballarat in May, the ad was first aired at the start of the Ashes cricket series. The band greatly enjoyed the experience of making the ad, and would like to thank all the helpers from across the state who fleshed out the band to its larger than usual size. Keep an eye out for us in our old-style blue jackets when you're next watching TV!
March 15
Sunday
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Bushfires - Clean up Day
starts at 9am
"Thanks to everyone who has done so much in giving us support during a time which could have been unbearable but with all of the support we have received we end up feeling quite touched and amazingly blessed in the people who make up our world. We want to hold a healing/clean up day at the property in order to create the first of what we hope will be many joyfull days where the place is overrun by friends and family."
What needs doing...
We have someone getting rid of the nasty bits of the house and felling the trees which are dangerous and the plan is to pick up any damaged wire (luckily the boundary fences should be able to be fixed using the wire which is there) also pull out any of the garden shrubs which are left as well as any rubbish (melted plastic etc). Then stack up any whole bricks from the house ready to be used as pavers after the new house is built. The already cut down trees need to be cut into smaller logs and stacked for firewood. Then if time permits, we can plant some new shrubs (I will list suitable native varieties below). We won't be there to water so we are limited to very hardy native plants. We also need to spread some clover seed over the paddockWhat to bring
gloves , sturdy shoes, wear long pants to protect yourself, dust masks
shovels if you have them, a few buckets to water the plants
Wire cutters and pliers are also a good idea.
Any blokes who want to rev up a chainsaw feel free, there will be lots of logs to cut up and move.
Maybe if you have a wheel barrow it would be useful too.
Bring lunch, picnic or BBq, (you will need to bring a bbq to cook on if that is your choice) an obvious one to remember is there is no toilet (it burnt down) but we may be able to use the neighbour's or else it is a 10 mins drive to Yarra Glen.
Plants to bring...
Suitable plants are grevillias, hakea, callistemon, banksia but please check that they are small to medium growing varieties or ground cover varieties. Also crowea or correa, hardenburgia. and small growing eucalypt varieties (check with the nursery)
"The most important thing to bring is the intention to have a fun day, bring champagne, pots of tea or just a big grin!" love you all
Angie and Graham Lloyd
491 Steels Creek Rd.,
Yarra Glen 3775
0412 343 242
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Kew Band Melbourne moving up world rankings
Kew Band Melbourne is looking good for this years Australisian Championships in Sydney. The band is growing from strength to strength and is now ranked 62nd in the world.
Rankings from 4barsrest - 6-Jan-2009
world/pos Band Region Points +/- 32 Brisbane Excelsior Australia 51.58 - 62 Kew Band Melbourne Australia 19.53 - 89 Gunnedah Shire Band Australia 10.07 -1 116 Waratah Brass Australia 7.16 - 124 Brisbane Brass Australia 6.67 - 131 Warringah Concert Brass Australia 5.92 - 132 Footscray-Yarraville City Australia 5.88 - 146 K&N Spring Gully Brass Australia 4.76 - 160 St Mary's Band Club Australia 4.33 - 173 Willoughby City Australia 4.01 +1 182 Hawthorn Australia 3.48 - 191 Boroondara Australia 2.87 -
