What a concerted effort for 25 years

THE Derwent Valley Concert Band will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a gala concert in Hobart on Saturday night.

Chief conductor Lyall McDermott said all five of the DVCB’s ensembles — the Brass Quintet, Marching Band, Development Band, Intermediate Band and Concert Band — would take part in the concert.

The event will be hosted by best-selling author, motivational speaker, 2009 Tasmanian Young Australian of the Year and former DVCB tenor horn player Sam Cawthorn.

McDermott said the concert’s program had been built around various high points in the band’s 25-year history.

“They include the very first public performance in 1993, international tours, the Danish royal wedding, state and national competitions, and the commissioning of new music from Australian composers,” he said. “Featured works will include Finger Lakes

Festival March by Jerry Nowak, Andromeda Overture by Mark Williams, Nordic Suite by Pierre La Plante, Brigade of Guards by Alex Lithgow, and Children’s March and The Lost

Lady Found by Percy Grainger.”

McDermott said a highlight of the concert would be the Australian premiere of local composer Mia Palencia’s song cycle Pengertian Suite.

“This is a modern-day immigrant story that incorporates traditional Sabahan musical elements in a contemporary setting and has been skilfully and beautifully arranged by Mark Buys,” he said.

“The work was commissioned especially for the DVCB tour to Malaysia in July this year where it was presented in four concerts, each time to great acclaim.” The organisation’s founding conductor, Layton Hodgetts, will make a welcome return to the podium for the concert, conducting both the Intermediate Band and Concert Band. Other conductors will be McDermott, Frances White and Andrew Castles.

The 25th anniversary concert will be at The Friends’ School’s Farrall Centre in North Hobart from 7pm on Saturday. Entry is by donation, with refreshments available before the concert and supper served after.