Per Elzen (left) plays a soprano cornet with Chris Reynolds, band musical director, and his B flat cornet. Both performed at the Gisborne Civic Brass Band's Bandathon. Photo / Supplied
Per Elzen (left) plays a soprano cornet with Chris Reynolds, band musical director, and his B flat cornet. Both performed at the Gisborne Civic Brass Band's Bandathon. Photo / Supplied
Brass instruments got blown, tooted and trumpeted for an enthusiastic audience in Gisborne when the Gisborne Civic Brass Band held its 24-hour Bandathon.
The band’s musical director, Chris Reynolds, said he thought the event last weekend was “a great success”.
“We achieved everything that we intended to achieve, and we’reall still together at the end of it.”
He said the entire band was joined by special guests, Gisborne musical and teaching identities Waiora Paul-Utiera and Dr Sean Scanlen.
Events included a musical history workshop, a session to learn to arrange hymns, a beer band performance, jazz improvisation, hymns at midnight and a dawn service. There was also a session to “meet a brass instrument” for interested potential musicians, including children.
“It would be easily 25, 30, 30 players or 30 members floating around at some stage,” Reynolds said.
“We had a good appreciative audience at the end for the final concert, which is always nice when you’re tired of anything and all you want to do is go to bed.”
Reynolds said he stayed awake through the night for all the Bandathon events.
“We started at 11.30am on the Friday morning and went through till 11.30am on Saturday morning. I stayed up - I was up for the whole thing. I didn’t get one ounce of sleep at all that whole night.”
Reynolds plays all the brass instruments, with a focus on trombone.
There was koha for the final concert, which will help the brass band to update instruments or buy new ones, Reynolds said.
“That’s sort of how the brass band or how brass bands sort of work in general anyway.
“They put on performances and put concerts together and do these sorts of fundraising exercises in order to keep themselves going and modernise their instruments and uniforms and update things and replace things.”
New players who are keen to learn can join the group’s auxiliary band.
“We have two bands - we have an auxiliary band, which is a band for learners of all ages,” Reynolds said.
“It doesn’t matter what age you are; it’s an ability-based sort of thing. And then the senior band, once you’re roaring away on the instrument, you’re confident and you’re reading your music.”
The youngest member of the senior band is 14. Reynolds said that if new adults or children and their parents wanted to join, they could call him on 020 4026 3368 or get in touch through Facebook or other social media channels.
Practices are on Thursday nights from 6.30pm to 8.30pm for both bands.
