ARARAT will this week host a rehearsal camp that will bring together youth musicians to prepare for performance in Halls Gap on Friday.
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Ararat City Band conductor Wally Pope said it was the second year that the Grampians Youth Brass Band had been formed with musicians from across the region.
“We put it together every now and then,” he said.
“There are a couple of kids from Horsham, from Stawell and a few places in between.
“We should have about 22 to 23 kids, and they’re all aged under 21.”
The free concert will be held at 2pm on Friday at Halls Gap Centenary Hall next to the Visitor Information Centre.
The musicians will first rehearse together in Ararat starting from Tuesday.
“We’re rehearsing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and we’re rehearsing from 10am to 4:30pm each day,” Mr Pope said.
The Grampians Youth Brass Band will feature a variety of music, including some classical-style renditions of modern popular music.
“It’s all classical in style but it can be pop music, hopefully we will be able to do a few Queen songs,” Mr Pope said.
“The kids love the camp. They keep coming back. We ran one six months ago where we had 15 kids and now we’re up significantly on that.
“Pretty much all the kids who were there at the previous camp have come back, plus a few extras.
“In a few years we’ll hopefully have a very big band. That’s the aim.”
Mr Pope said the aim of the Grampians Youth Brass Band and its camp was to give young musicians in the area another outlet.
“It’s good for them to see what the other kids are doing, how much practice they are doing, how much they are getting better,” he said.
“The performance is free. The whole camp is actually free.
“I do all the conducting, my wife Sandra does all the organising and band president David Cosgriff does pretty much everything else.”
Grampians Youth Brass Band cornet player Lachie Meehan, age 13, urged people to come and see the show.