Southern Road Trip - Oamaru & Waimate, 15th - 17th November 2024
For the second year the band ventured South over the Canterbury provincial holiday, playing in both Waimate and Oamaru.
It was a time to renew old friendships and make new ones as we once again teamed up with the Oamaru Garrison Band who joined us for all the performances over the weekend.
Arriving on the Friday evening we were hosted by the Garrison Band for a joint practice followed by a social event. Inside the band room it was warm and dry but outside the rain poured down - a carbon copy of what we experienced when we practiced with the Garrison Band on Friday last year.
Assembled in Oamaru Garrison Band’s HQ for a joint practice of music being performed over the weekend.
Fortunately, again replicating last year, the weather improved the following day and all the performances planned for the weekend went ahead as scheduled.
On the Saturday morning we ventured back North to Waimate to play at the local farmers’ market, doing a couple of slots in the lovely park in Seddon Square. It was a bit windy so we decided to opt for a pitch which was sheltered rather than playing on the more exposed bandstand as originally planned.
A bit chilly in the morning, but still a lovely venue - playing in the shelter of the trees in Seddon Park, Waimate
After a quick lunch the band returned to Oamaru. As the weekend was the annual Victorian Fete a number of our lady members took the opportunity to dress in Victorian attire for the rest of the weekend, changing from their band uniforms into their Victorian finery ready to play at the Oamaru Railway Station.
There are no regular passenger services serving Oamaru these days, but occasionally Dunedin Railways operates excursions to the Victorian town, and we were at the railway station for the departure of the day’s tourist train back to Dunedin. As we were playing on a narrow platform, and had a large joint band the cornet section took up twice as many rows as it normally would.
A Whiter Shade of Pale, performed on Oamaru Railway Station
By Sunday the weather had become warm and sunny, and the band played a set either side of lunch in front of the main stage in the middle of the Victorian precinct. During the break members of the band took every opportunity to explore the fete and the town, some even venturing into the Steampunk HQ (Oamaru is the NZ’s centre for Steampunk enthusiasts).
The Musical Director of Oamaru Band, Andrew Hayes, takes the baton for the famous New Zealand march Invercargill
The band performs in the Oamaru Victorian precinct
A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square
Boys of the Old Brigade
Musical Director and some of the players dressed in Victorian outfits for the Oamaru performances.
For our finale, the famous Salvation Army march Star Lake by Eric Ball, our Musical Director, Victoria, handed the baton to a couple of members of the audience to take control of the band - you can see the results in the video!
Our grand finale for the weekend - Star Lake, featuring two guest conductors…