By ALEXANDRA KING
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CITY of Orange Brass Band members have spent the winter months learning new tunes ahead of its first free recital for the season in Cook Park tomorrow.
Contemporary pop songs, like Robbie Williams’s Angels and Happy by Pharrell Williams have been added to standard marches in the band’s already vast repertoire, as well as the songs the band performed at the recent NSW State Band Championships in Sydney.
It is the first time in 18 years the 30-strong band competed at a state level, which conductor Matthew Gateley said improved the quality of monthly recitals at the Summer Street park rotunda.
“Anytime you develop songs for a high quality, you become used to playing at a higher level, and the audience benefits from that,” Mr Gateley said.
“We came fifth overall in our section. I’m happy with the band’s performance, but the competition was very extreme. Some bands, like us, hadn’t competed in many years, so we were up against some quality bands that should have been graded higher.”
Band members also have their sights set on a debut at the Australian National Band Championships in Sydney over Easter next year, which Mr Gateley said will give the musicians the chance to play against some of the most talented bands in the country.
He said the brass band is always accepting new members to its ranks. For more information, contact John Moss on 0428 637 235.
alexandra.king@fairfaxmedia.com.au