MITCHELL Shire Concert Band, MSCB, will perform its first concert on Sunday since pre-COVID, following years of not being able to host an official recital during lockdown restrictions.
Reviving its spring concert, the community band is preparing for its show, with a program that offers some familiar tunes, using instruments of percussion, brass, woodwind and string, at Seymour College Arts Centre.
The community band, which has been based in the Seymour region prior to World War One, currently has 22 members from across the Mitchell and Strathbogie shires and metropolitan Melbourne, ageing from mid-teens to seniors.
MSCB supports community events such as Australia Day citizenship ceremonies, ANZAC Day ceremonies, and Christmas carols, but has not performed its own formal concert prior to COVID.
Secretary Elizabeth Bedggood said members were thrilled to perform a concert again.
“Performing in public again, that’s really going to be really great for the musicians because they normally just play for themselves, so it’s terrific to be able to get out and play,” she said.
“Some will be approaching with trepidation because it’s their very first time, but the more established musicians know what it’s like and it’s great to get the applause – I think that’s lovely, some recognition of all their hard work.
“This is an audience who really wants to be there … we’re looking forward to hopefully encouraging new members, both existing performers also some that might have played in their youth … and new members.”
Supported by the Bendigo Bank Kilmore, Wallan and Broadford branches, proceeds from the concert will be used to continue the band’s learner program, where new learners of all ages can discover playing in a large ensemble.
MSCB can accept beginner members aged over 10 years old and introduce students to the band.
“We’ve got a music teacher and so they learn to listen to others and learn to play in a band right from the start, but they also get individual Zoom lessons as well – that was one good thing out of the pandemic is the Zoom lessons,” Ms Bedggood said.
MSCB operates out of the Band Hall, at the entrance of Chittick Park in Pollard Street, and loans musical instruments for a small deposit to encourage people to join.
MSCB’s ‘Spring Blooms Again’ concert is at Seymour College Arts Centre, from 2pm till 4pm on Sunday.
