Symphonic Winds
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The St Peters Symphonic Winds was established by Grant Mason in 2005 and was previously known as the St Peters Wind Symphony. It is comprised of students between 13 and 18 years of age. The band has performed with many of Australia's leading musicians, such as Sean O'Boyle (AUS), and Dave Brubeck (AUS) as well as overseas conductors.
The Symphonic Winds has established a reputation for its commitment to all styles of music and for its particular focus on Australia's own composers, from whom scores are regularly commissioned.
Like most Australian school bands, the band functions outside the curriculum, rehearsing one morning and one afternoon each week, for a weekly total of three and a half hours. The bands repertoire includes contemporary Australian music by Brian Hogg and Sean O'Boyle, as well as, other works by Samuel R.Hazo, John Higgins, Robert Sheldon, Ralph Hultgren and Claude T Smith.
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[edit] Tours
St Peters Symphonic Winds has an active profile both within Australia and overseas, regularly undertaking performance tours during school holidays. The band has toured through all Australian states except Western Australia and toured overseas in USA and Canada in 2005.
[edit] 2005 USA and Canada Tour
In 2005, 48 St Peters music students embarked on a tour to the United States of America and Canada. Destinations included Honolulu (Hawaii), Los Angeles (California), Seattle (Washington), and Vancouver (British Columbia). One of the highlights of the tour was the acceptance by Disneyland in Los Angeles, to perform there.
Following their tours to the USA, Canada and Melbourne, they performed pieces commissioned for the band and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, such as Ross Roy and A Joyful Noise. Some of these were performed at the 60th Anniversary of the founding of St Peters, which was held in the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in August 2005. The St Peters Symphonic Winds also spent a week with Australian conductor and composer Sean O'Boyle, performing in a school concert.
[edit] 2008 Europe Tour
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This article or section contains information about scheduled or expected future events. It may contain information of a tentative nature and the content may change dramatically as the event approaches and more information becomes available. |
As of 2007, a European tour is planned for late 2008. A score is likely to be commissioned for the tour.
[edit] Awards
Symphonic Winds has received many awards, including the Queensland Youth Music Award which it has won three years in a row.
[edit] Composition
As of March 2007, the Symphonic Winds comprised:
- Brass
- 6 trumpets
- 5 trombones and a bass trombone
- 2 euphoniums
- 2 tubas
- Woodwind
- 7 flutes (two of whom also play piccolo)
- 8 clarinets
- 1 bass clarient
- 2 bassoons
- 3 alto saxophones
- 1 tenor saxophone
- 1 baritone saxophone
- Percussion
- orchestral and concert band drums
- timpanis
- bells
- extensive other percussion equipment
