Established in 2021, the Yass Valley Concert Band celebrates and challenges some of the Valley’s best and most enthusiastic musicians at weekly rehearsals and in community performances.
Now, they return to the stage in their fourth spring concert performance in what has now become a yearly tradition.
Music Director, Bryan Hooley will be leading the band in their cinema themed concert titled “Greasepaint and the Silver Screen”.
“Every year has had a different theme,” he says.
“The first year, we featured members of the band and soloists, as well as a couple of people from the community as soloists.
“The second year, we were focusing on local music.
“Last year, we did a dance feature and this year, it will be cinema and theatre music.”
What truly makes the band’s concert’s special is their focus on giving all of their performance’s proceeds to a local charity.
This year, they will be passing on their funds to the Liberty Theatre Restoration Fund, which is their location for the next performance.
Performing on Sunday, 1 November, the band will be putting together three short concerts, each lasting an hour and 15 minutes.
Normally, Bryan says they would only have one large concert, but as the Liberty Theatre is in the midst of their restorations, the venue can only provide the lower tier of seats, maxing out seating for approximately 80 people. For past concerts, Bryan says they have sat up to 200 people.
“We thought if a similar number want to come, then we wouldn’t want to shut them out. So, we’ve got it this way,” he says.
Concert times go from 1.00pm, 2.45pm and 4.30pm, and tickets are now available to purchase.
Although the Yass Valley Concert Band is only young in comparison to others, Bryan says they draw on the rich history of bands in the district, with some spanning as early as the late 1800s.
“There used to be a very strong music program, band program at Yass High School and then when that closed in around 2010, there was nothing [available for musicians],” he says.
Although plans were in place to restart a band organisation in 2020, COVID-19 restrictions quickly put a hole in it.
Bryan has now been in the band for approximately five years, and says the band has become quite large in itself.
“We have members, probably normally about two dozen people, but for this concert, we pad it out with people from City Band in Canberra and other people we know,” he says.
Many musicians play in multiple bands (including the Canberra City Band who rehearse weekly at the Hawker College in Canberra), and a concert of this scale provides a special opportunity for musicians to broaden their scope.
Bryan says they are looking at hosting a 35-40 player band for the upcoming concert, ensuring every instrument (including bassoon and oboe) is covered.
“We are able to put on some more challenging, and varied music, so that’s one of the reasons for it,” he says.
“It was my idea, this spring concert, I just thought it would be good to challenge the band a little bit [with] a concert performance of a slightly higher standard than they would normally play.
“We often play at markets and around the shire and at various things when we’re invited.
“That sort of level of things is usually not overly challenging, but this is a bit more of a challenge.
And this year, for this one, because it’s a cinema-based thing, we’re going to play the soundtrack to a short film, so that’s a bit of a challenge for us all.”
Sitting at approximately eight minutes long, Bryan says he knows the director of the film, ‘Star Quest: Arrodin’s Story”. In fact, he knows the director very well… and is the composer for the tracks within the film.
“I’m hoping to get him along as guest of honour because he produced the film,” says Bryan.
“It should be fun, and we’ll be putting on a whole range of music right from the 1700s, opera, and so forth, right through to modern, and theatre music. There will be something there for everybody, even a couple of TV themes.
“It will be quite a varied program. We will also have, whenever we can, Julie O’Connor, who’s a local soprano, who lives in Harden.”
Bryan says they love bringing Julie out as a feature whenever they have music that suits her voice. Their upcoming concert provides the perfect opportunity.
“She will be singing several numbers. [Julie is also] with a singing group based in Young, called Wickham Lane, and they will be providing some harmony numbers there as well,” he says.
Tickets are available at $30 per person or $23 for concession and $70 for a family package (two adults and any number of children under 16).
Donations for the Liberty Theatre Restoration Fund are also accepted via another booking option to “restore the theatre to its former glory”.
For any keen musicians who might wish to “pull their old instrument out from under the bed and blow the dust off”, Bryan says they are always on the lookout for new band players.
“We rehearse Monday evenings at the Mt Carmel hall,” he says.
“Michael Green, who’s in charge there has graciously let us to use that facility, and it’s been great, because it’s quite difficult to find a rehearsal space for a band this size, and one that you are not going to annoy the neighbours.
“In fact, we’ve had comments from people across the other side of Dutton Street say we really enjoy Monday night!
“We end up playing maybe half a dozen performances a year of various kinds. We have played in the Yass markets parade, pre-Christmas there, three or four times. We have supported to Yass Carols and we will be playing at the Boorowa carols night this year.”
The band is also available for hire for events.
For anyone who may be interested in pursuing music with the band as a player, they are encouraged to contact Robin at rbwinterflood@gmail.com.
For more information, visit https://www.yassvalleyconcertband.com.au.
To purchase a ticket for the upcoming concert, visit https://events.humanitix.com/greasepaint-and-the-silver-screen-an-afternoon-of-fun-music.
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