Musicians with the Armidale City Band have a top reason to be blowing their own trumpets; they have just returned from the NSW Band Association Championships with the D Grade Brass State title.
They mixed it with the big brass in the big smoke, with the three bands that they bested all hailing from the greater Sydney area, where the competition took place. A total of 27 players took part in the thrilling statewide competition. They range in age from eight to over 80, yet as they rehearsed in the Armidale City Band Hall in the CBD, their concentration and joy in the music that they create together was universally evident on their faces.
It is an additional source of pride that the band was not trumped up with outsiders. The locals have learned, rehearsed and won together. This means consistency for their public performances and future competitions. Conductor, David Brown said the State Championship is a very big deal. “If we win again next year we will be promoted up a grade,” he said. “It is just great to have this reward and recognition for all of our practice.”
The Armidale City Band has been a culturally significant part of the community since 1878. New members are not simply hoped for, they are trained up. There is a beginner brass class on Wednesday evenings and an intermediate (book 2) class on Tuesdays. These are taught by Mr Brown and feed into the Band.
For the members of the Armidale City Band, being part of a community band is something of a calling, which transcends generations. It is a pursuit that is inexplicably, an important part of their lives. “I just love it. It’s part of me,” beamed UNE student from Gunnedah, Sarah McArthur, who has been playing her cornet since she was a little girl.
The musical spirit of the Armidale City Band truly resonates for its community when appearing at a plethora of public and private events.
Globally, there is a long tradition of competition between brass bands, throughout the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, continental Europe and North America. Annual competitions are held to select champion bands at various levels of musical competence. The State Championships in Sydney were a fun, rewarding and developmental experience for the victorious Armidale brass musicians, according to their dedicated conductor. “It is a good experience to see how what we are doing measures up, technically, as compared to other bands. It was a big effort and a lot of fun just getting there and competing. We were all blown away to win,” Mr Brown said.
