Renowned for their extensive fundraising initiatives and musical prowess, the Kingswood College Concert Band will be charming audiences Friday 1 March at its Cheese and Wine event, in support of the Grahamstown Hospice.
Renowned for their extensive fundraising initiatives and musical prowess, the Kingswood College Concert Band will be charming audiences Friday 1 March at its Cheese and Wine event, in support of the Grahamstown Hospice.
When asked what audiences can expect of the band’s first 2013 performance, Director of Music Stephen Holder responded, quite simply, “An extremely enjoyable evening.”
The band is made up of 36 wind, brass and percussion virtuosos. However, this is not a ceremonial, sit-down affair. The band fosters an informal setting during performances and it is not uncommon for audiences to stand up and dance and even, on occasion, sing along with the arrangements.
The band’s repertoire includes pieces from a variety of genres and from both international and South African artists. When assembling these songs the band aimed to create a performance that will be enjoyed by an audience of varied tastes and ages.
Expect a programme of seasoned favourites, as well as popular hits such as Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain”. They will also be playing a recently purchased arrangement of songs by Coldplay and a medley of Michael Jackson. The line-up also includes a pinch of Mango Groove.
Lovers of classical music will be pleased to note that despite these modern flavours, the band is also proficient in classical pieces. They are known to play, amongst others, the works of Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
The band has a long-established relationship with Hospice. This is the 5th year that they will perform a concert raising funds for them, this year with the sponsorship of the GBS Mutual Bank.
Director of Music Stephen Holder expressed his hope that this year’s concert will be even bigger than before.
The performance begins at 7pm on Friday 1 March, in the school’s High Performance Centre. Tickets are sold at R80 a person and R800 for a full table of ten. All proceeds will be given to the Grahamstown Hospice. Contact Alke Bradfield, (046) 603 6670, a.bradfield@kingswoodcollege.com for queries.
