Waitakere Tour Diary - September 2006

One time at band camp!

Friday September 15
The band spent tonight going through the concert tour music with most of the tour band now seated around the stands. Steven Booth took tonight's rehearsal, as Simon was absent due to work commitments.

The following day was gruelling. MD Simon Kerwin was back at the helm and he had the band rehearsing from 9AM to 5PM. The test music was beginning to take shape with some attention given to some of the concert music for light relief. Many of the arrangements are from Simon's pen and the band is enjoying his sense of musical humour. Our soprano cornet, Fendall Hill, is playing a movement from his own trumpet concert composition. Other soloists include Sergio Marshall (horn); Matt van Emmerick (euphonium); David Mallett (baritone) and Thomas Eaves (trumpet).

Wednesday September 20
Arrival in Singapore
Well the band has made it this far. We have just arrived in Singapore after an uneventful 10-hour flight from Auckland. The national drink of Singapore seems to be the Singapore Sling created at the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel. It was on the drinks menu on the plane and tasted rather fruity and ginny. Which is not surprising as it is made of fruit juices gin cointreau and something fizzy.

We are in transit now for 3 hours in Changi Airport and then a 12 3/4 hour flight to Zurich. There is lots to do here. You can see a movie, go for a swim,shop and shop and shop. Also many bars and cafes dotted around the place provide distractions while we wait for the next flight.

Next stop…. Switzerland...

Switzerland At Last
Thursday September 21
We arrived in Zurich at 6:30AM. It was foggy at the airport much like a Waikato winters day. We then bussed for 1.5 hours to Lucerne. Passing through small villages with houses decked out with many window boxes full of geraniums, begonias and other brightly coloured flowers. The band was unable to check in due to the early arrival so we left our luggage and hit the town. What a beautiful town. The fog lifted around 10AM revealing beautiful views of the lake and mountains surrounding the town. Sun shining it made venturing around the town on foot very pleasant. Chapel Bridge connected the old city. This had been made into a pedestrian only area and there were many shops and cafes to explore. Rehearsal was for 2 hours in the afternoon and we were free to head out and find dinner.

Today we rehearsed in a nearby music school hall, which was a step up from the hotel dining room of yesterday. Groups then headed out to see the town wall and the dying lion statue carved out of rock in the side of a hill. Views from the town wall were spectacular and the weather today was superb (again) Rehearsal again at 3.30PM at another music school which we got to by catching public transport. We have been drawn 3rd for the contest tomorrow and have to report at 10.15AM at the KKL venue.

We will be having a relaxing evening before the job tomorrow. We are sharing the hotel with Dobcross band who arrived midnight last night very noisily, disturbing most of the hotel. We will be giving a concert in their band club later in the tour so we might just have to get some compensation. Possibly in the liquid amber currency common to brass bandsmen.

The band is playing well and we are looking forward to doing a good job tomorrow.

Contest Day
Saturday September 23
Well contest day is with us and we have played our test Volcano and the march Triumph. The band played well and conductor Simon is happy. We have been outside the contest venue enjoying the Swiss beer and sausages from street stalls as well as listening to Black Dyke playing in a shared outdoor concert along with a dixie band and a concert band. The results will be out in about an hours time so we are waiting around while the judges deliberate. They have 5 judges and take the highest and lowest points awarded away leaving the result from the middle 3 judges to decide the places.

The day began with a light blow in our rehearsal venue from yesterday. Then we proceded to the contest venue by taxi convoy. Later this evening a group is going to the Black Dyke concert in the same venue the contest was held in.

Results
The band came 11 equal with Dobcross in a field of 12 bands. The winning band was Ensemble de Cuivres Melodia; second was Brass Band Fribourg; third was Brass Band 13 Etoiles.

The hall was spectacular. It was like playing inside a wedding cake.

We have a rehearsal for tonights concert at 10AM and depart for Berne at 1:30PM for a our 4PM concert with Brass Band Emmental. The evening will include a meal.

Tomorrow we are doing the "round trip" boat on Lake Lucerne, cog railway up Mt Pilatus, cable car down and bus back to town. This will take most of the day returning at 3:30PM

Emmental Concert & Fondue
Monday September 25
The band travelled to Berne yesterday after a rehearsal in the breakfast room. It was loud and Dobcross band were still getting up to leave so I hope we managed to disturb a few sore heads after their noisy arrival a few days ago.

The concert was in a gymn and Emmental took to the stage with 5 numbers for the first "half" Then Waitakere set up and played a 80 min programme. The audience was small but enthusiastic. We packed up and then joined the Emmental players for a fondue evening nearby. The cheese was heated with wine and we used bread on long forks to collect the cheese and eat. Very rich but with plenty of wine and good company twe managed to eat a lot. The band departed for Lucerne at 10AM and most slept on the bus home.

The band are off on the Lake cruise, cog railway and cable car trip today...

Faireys Concert A Hit
Thursday September 28
The band played at the Buxton Opera House last night with the Fairey Band. Waitakere took the first half and played very well. Solosts were Thomas Eves on trumpet (Feeling Good) Sergio Marshall (Demelza) and Matt van Emmerik (Greek Dance)All played well and were well recieved by the capacity audience.

The band had left Switzerland at 3AM and made it to Manchester by mid morning. Our hotel was not ready until afternoon so we were let loose on the Trafford Center for a few hours. A huge mall where most shopped ate and played 10 pin. The next day we went to Last of the Summer wine village and saw Sids cafe and Nora battys steps. Not great but fun.

Today we are enroute to Glasgow and stopped in the Lake District at Windermere.

More later...

Glasgow and Edinburgh
Friday 29 & Saturday 30
Well the band left the Manchester area yesterday and travelled to Glasgow. A large city, which saw Rangers playing a Norwegian, team whilst we were there. We were recommended to stay off the streets and take cabs as the local team was going to be thrashed and the supporters might be a bit grumpy.

Some of the band went out after the evening rehearsal in the Co-op band room (above the undertakers) The Bon Accord pub is the Co-op band watering hole and they had a rehearsal after ours so many went for a curry before joining the band for drinks later.

Today the band went off sightseeing to Edinburgh Castle and surrounding city. What a magnificent place. Once the castle lost its appeal there was always the "Whiskey Experience" shop where you could have a look at how whiskey is made and peruse the 300+ single malts on display. Unfortunately we had a concert tonight and so we were unable to partake.

The concert with Co-op band was in a church. They took to the stage first with a great programme. Soloists included soprano, trombone, eupho, cornet, horn. We caught up with Andy and Lindsay Smith who helped us out in Wellington last year and their new baby girl.

Waitakere took the second half with soloists playing very well. Fendall with his Trumpet Concerto, Thomas with Feeling Good and David Mallet with Sogno. The band played very sympathetically. The band is playing better as a team now. A reflection of having been together for a couple of weeks. Some have gone out tonight to the Bon Accord for drinks with the Co-op band.

We are off tomorrow for the Manchester area for the final leg of the tour. Hepworth concert tomorrow night. A "Last Night of the Proms" type concert and then the following night will be Dobcross Band Club. This will be a pressure night as it will be band people watching band people. Some of the top players and band folk will be there having a pint and listening with a critical ear. No pressure.

Dobcross Finale
Sunday October 1
Well the band played to a full house at the Dobcross Band Club. All soloists performed well and the band was well received. Dave Morris former World Whistling champion performed with the band also. A few pints and with the locals went down well and we departed for the hotel at 11:30PM.

On arrival at the hotel we organised the gear that was coming straight home with the few not staying on in Europe. We also spent some time lightening the duty free load to assist with Singapore Airlines excess baggage restrictions.

The band departed for the airport at 5:30AM and the rest departed according to their travel arrangements.

A great trip was had by all. Big thanks go to Alex Kerwin for co-ordinating the tour. Simon Kerwin for working the band up to put on a decent performance at Swiss Open. Julie and Craig McKee for being there and going out of their way to deal with the problems and challenges that cropped up along the way.

With thanks to Sergio Marshall