Southern Road Trip, Show Weekend (17th to 19th November 2023)

Over Show Weekend the band travelled South and took part in a number of activities and performances in South Canterbury / North Otago.

Basing ourselves in Oamaru the band got together with Oamaru Garrison Band on the night of our arrival, some members renewing old friendships and for most of us creating new ones. The joint practice we held on that Friday evening was particular poignant for our repiano cornet player, Peter Thorby, whose father and grandfather both played for the Garrison Band at one time, but who had never been inside the Garrison Band’s bandroom himself. One of the Oamaru cornet players present even remembered both of Peter’s ancestors playing in the band!

Sumner Silver Band and the Oamaru Garrison Band joint rehearsal

Saturday morning saw us retracing our journey North, back across the Waitaki and into South Canterbury to play in the band rotunda there during Waimate’s Farmers’ Market. Throughout the weekend we were assisted by Craig and Nadine from New Brighton Silver Band, and at Waimate by Michelle Kirk (also from New Brighton) whose father plays for Waimate Band.

Our road trip then took us back South again, crossing the Waitaki once more then proceeding past Oamaru to perform at Totara Estate - the historic farmstead from which the first shipment of frozen lamb was dispatched to England in 1882. Here we reprised our performance from Waimate and were rewarded with an afternoon tea of superb scones and homemade jam!

We had chosen to visit Oamaru on this particular weekend as it was the annual Victorian Festival. On the Sunday morning we started the musical proceedings by playing a set on the performance stage, returning after lunch to provide a second helping. In keeping with the weekend being Oamaru’s Victorian Festival several of the ladies in the band, including the Musical Director Victoria, came along to the Sunday performances dressed in appropriate costumes from that era.

Throughout the weekend we had been assisted by players from Oamaru Garrison Band, who joined us in force for the Sunday performance. We look forward to building on our relationship with this historic band in the future.