OnStage Manawatū swing band to perform at Summerset on Summerhill

The right kind of wind in action at the 2020 Summerhill concert. Trumpet players Peter Hales, left, and Alan Horsfall, and saxophonists Aaron Hansen, left, Colin Eglinton and Sue Fletcher.

Summerset Village and the OnStage

Manawatū swing band combine for the 13th time on February 28 in a fundraising concert for Alzheimers Manawatū.

The project was initiated in 2008 by Summerset executive Brent Davis.

He grew up surrounded by performers including his father Ian, who plays saxophone in the band. With that background it was natural to invite the band to Summerset every summer.

Not that summer has always treated the show as it should. Band director Alan Horsfall recalls one year when rain arrived after the concert started and keyboardist Liz Watts found herself playing with her hands under a towel protecting the electronics.

The rest of the band was dry in its marquee, but unluckily for Liz the keyboard was placed at the front where she had no protection from the elements.

"But we've never cancelled," Alan says with pride. "It's come close at times with rain and with wind. Brent and I have had some worried Sunday-morning conversations, but the show's always gone on."

These days there is plenty of shelter. Summerset erects three marquees – one for the band (with the keyboard still up front), two for the public.

The 2pm concert is free but patrons are given the chance to gift a gold coin for Alzheimers Manawatū.

The 2021 line-up features some of the region's leading instrumentalists. Lead trombone is Levin librarian Nick van Dyke, who plays, according to Alan, "just about every instrument you can think of".

Errol Christiansen plays flute and trombone. Another trombonist is Dave Edmonds, recently retired Freyberg High School head of music.

It wouldn't be a swing band without vocalists, and the list is varied. Colombian singer Aleyda Mina Garcia will perform, and during the interval Simon Grant will keep the music going singing to his backing tracks.

A new addition this year is teenager Mahnoor Hussein in two roles. She will sing solo and team up with two colleagues to form the Harmonettes. This will be their last performance as a group before they make their separate ways to tertiary education.

The swing band is part of OnStage Manawatū, formerly the Savage Club, which changed its name last winter.