Author: Secre- Tary

Australian Champions, Brisbane Excelsior Band are pleased confirm that they will travel to Wellington to compete in the 2017 New Zealand National Championships in April.

As a direct result of the decision to go to New Zealand, XLCR will not be travelling to Launceston to defend the 2016 National Australian Championship title they won in Gawler, South Australia.

XLCR has won the Australian Championship title eight times in the last twelve years but were pipped in Sydney back in 2015 by Wellington Brass. The opportunity for the band to compete against its NZ foe once again, especially in the current NZ Champions’ home city of Wellington, is just too great an opportunity to pass up.

As an organisation, XLCR look at a multitude of aspects when choosing where to travel with the band. Along with cost and logistics, XLCR’s friendly rivalries with New Zealand’s Elite Bands and the opportunity to perform in one of Australasia’s top concert venues in the Michael Fowler Centre have proved massive drawcards. Further to this, the band has history in New Zealand having won two New Zealand titles in the last decade.

Band president Gareth Lawless said:

“Whilst I accept it is unfortunate to not be going to defend our Australian title, it is the right decision for our Band. Both the MD and the committee feel that this years’ New Zealand Contest has the potential to be one of the most memorable in recent times for Australasian Banding. The world class concert hall and exemplary organisation of NZ contests make it such an attractive option for the band. When you add the rivalry with a number of the top NZ bands into the mix, the trip truly becomes a mouth-watering prospect for the playing members”.

GARETH LAWLESS, PRESIDENT

Brisbane XLCR have been in fine form in the recent months, recording 2 CDs, performing with award winning local choirs and taking stride in their own concert series. However, it is on the contest stage where the band really finds its footing. The band’s Musical Director, Howard Taylor cannot wait to conduct the band in NZ:

“I’ve been looking forward to returning to NZ with XLCR for many years now. I hope we can re-create that special magic from 10 years ago after a double win at the NZ contest in 2007/08.”

HOWARD TAYLOR, MUSICAL DIRECTOR

After being pipped at the post the previous few years, we are so glad to announce that XLCR’s Solo Baritone Ross Moloney is the winner of the 2016 Colin Topp Slow Melody competition. Thoroughly deserved with a spellbinding rendition of Manhattan by Philip Sparke.

Special mentions to Soprano Cornet, Jaime Brown & Solo Euphonium Nigel John for their 2nd and 3rd places respectively.

Thanks to our adjudicator Trevor for an absolutely awesome evening of music making. Book it in your diaries now – SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18th (tentative date) will be the next Colin Topp Slow Melody competition – open to everyone.

Brisbane XLCR play the classic march ‘Death or Glory’. One of the pieces that was played by the same band 100 years prior.

On Sunday 28th of August, the Brisbane Excelsior Band helped celebrate 100 years of entertaining Brisbane with music in parks. Performing on the Riverstage for the second time in as many years, XLCR were proud to support such a great concert, alongside several other local bands, including the Brisbane Municipal Concert Band, South Brisbane Federal Brass Band, University of Queensland Pipe Band, City of Brisbane Pipe Band and Irish Association Pipe Band.

After an impressive fanfare performed by the cornets from the Riverstage’s balcony, the two A Grade brass bands then combined to perform some repertoire from the early 20th century, including ‘The Dam Busters’ march.

Each of the bands then performed a short program by themselves. Brisbane Excelsior began their segment with the classic march ‘Death or Glory’, before featuring their cornet section and newly appointed Windsor Musical Director, Flugel soloist, Stu Lang with ‘Valero’ before closing with Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s grandslam work ‘Fire in the Blood’.

To finish off the concert, XLCR, Feds and the Brisbane Municipal Concert Band all graced the stage to perform together, ending with Holst’s ‘Mars’, which was arranged especially for the concert by Brisbane Muni’s conductor; David Jones. It was quite the experience with over 100 musicians on stage!

Thank you to everyone who came along to this fantastic afternoon and a huge well done to Helen and Brisbane Metropolitan Bands for organising such a well run concert!

Join the Brisbane Excelsior Band as they are featured alongside NTGENT and Les Ballets C De La B in a Brisbane exclusive, Australian Premiere of En Avant, Marche as a part of the 2016 Brisbane Festival.

En Avant Marche will be performed in the Playhouse Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, at 7:30pm on the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th of September.

For more information and to purchase tickets go to the Brisbane Festival website.

“A production that swoops between high and low culture and combines concert, theatre and dance in one category-defying package… it feels as if all human life is presented on stage. What is happening around the edges is always as intriguing as what is taking centre stage… It’s a show in which the gaps speak as eloquently as the action and messy humanity spills across the stage. Then they start to play and become one… absorbing.” (The Guardian)

“The whole piece creates a world in which a life can be celebrated.” (The Stage)