On the King’s Birthday weekend, the Bairnsdale Secondary College (BSC) Swing Band travelled to Merimbula to take part in the 43rd Merimbula Jazz Festival.
As well as four performances across indoor and outdoor venues, this year’s jazz festival included a special highlight.
The BSC Swing Band and BSC alumni were invited to participate in a workshop with festival headline performers, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Big Band.
The Merimbula Jazz Festival is a regular event on BSC Swing Band’s calendar and their reputation is such that festival goers seek them out.
Once again, the swing band lived up to their reputation, giving tight and polished performances with a mix of Latin, swing, jazz and rock numbers.
Many members of the swing band have been part of the ensemble for a couple of years now, and the consistency shows in the
group’s cohesiveness.
Enthusiastic audiences warmly received songs by vocalists Selwyn and Ava, and solos by Patrick (bass), Cooper (baritone sax), Cody (tenor sax), Cooper (trumpet), Selwyn (guitar), Benji (keyboard) and Emily (alto sax).
New festival attendees Sam and Emily added to the full and energetic sound. As always, Henry on the drums drove the rhythm with pizzazz, while Tahlia-Rose (trumpet), Kim (alto sax) and Kees (trombone) also contributed to the superb musicality of the performances.
Over the weekend members of the swing band also performed with other local bands East Gippsland Brass and Friends, and EdGYJO (East Gippsland Youth Jazz Orchestra, which includes past and present students of BSC). As well as performing, students were also developing their stage craft, taking turns to announce songs and solos and sharing snippets with the audience, such as Cody’s skill in playing a low A on his sax by covering the bell.
Following Saturday afternoon’s performance, EdGYJO members joined swing band members for the workshop with the RAN
Big Band. This was a brilliant opportunity for the band members, in which RAN professional players came alongside to coach the students through two pieces: show tune I Could Write a Book and Duke Ellington’s In a
Sentimental Mood.
RAN band leader Simon Bartlett led the players through both pieces section by section, sharing his wisdom about ensemble aspects such as tuning, fitting parts together, and listening to one another.
Ava deserves special mention for singing confidently to a packed auditorium while being coached and Cody for his instrumental solo. At the end of the workshop, the much-enhanced pieces were performed, receiving a standing ovation.
Students also had the opportunity to listen to plenty of great music across the weekend, including the dynamic and entertaining RAN Big Band on Saturday evening.
The swing band’s opportunity to take part in the jazz festival was made possible by the incredible efforts of band leader James Newman, who not only rehearses the band, but also writes many of the arrangements.
Under James’ experienced hand, the band goes from strength-to-strength, reflecting the exceptional quality of the instrumental music program at Bairnsdale Secondary College.
