Australian Nationals 2013

Is it really a week since Nationals finished?!

I had an awesome long weekend, releasing lots of pent up band-geekiness!

Friday was our hymn and Test Piece- "Northern Landscapes" - which is a big work that all the bands in the section have to play. The euphoniums had the opening notes and we managed not to split them, so we knew it would be all good from there. 

Saturday morning was the march contest, through the streets of Northbridge. There was a decent crowd watching the rare spectacle. Western Australia only has about 7 bands, spread across its vastness, so nearly 30 of them marching down the street is definitely not what you expect when you go out for brunch!

And Halt! Marching through Northbridge

On the inspection field prior to marching off

Then Sunday was the final day of the big competition. A stage march and our own choice test piece - "Rhapsody in Brass". We pushed pretty hard in our test piece, probably a bit too hard. Its normally a test piece for the grades above our lowely C-grade status, but we felt we pulled it off pretty well. We had a great time playing and preparing, and felt that our final performances of each piece were just about the best we'd ever played. 

In the auditorium performing our test piece

We ended up coming 3rd, behind two bands that were on the very top of their game. 

The band in general was a little disappointed to hear the results read out, but after some time to reflect it was a great first attempt at the national competition (the state competition isn't much of a competition...) and a great base to build on. 

During the week we had a party instead of rehearsal. 

And I made cakes :)

Red Velvet, and White Chocolate and Passion fruit.

In band colours. 

Bring on next year!

And the pep talk from our conductor:

"I could not be happier with the way the band played today! We went in each day and played exactly as we had rehearsed it. Everything went exactly to plan (well as much as one can expect on contest day). All the comments from the adjudicator were very complimentary- nothing on the tapes is worth hanging our heads low about! There were 2 bands there today who are at the very top of C Grade at both nationally and state level and even in one case really should be in B grade. Lets think back to before the adjudication when we all agreed that the band never sounded better in this whole lead up to contest! I have never been prouder of this band and you can bet ill be singing the praises of the band to the guys at work on Tuesday!! I am so proud of this band- and I hope you are too!! Well done!!

Challenges and Contests

Now I've broken my sewing drought with a laurel or two, I got to work on a new muslin for my Mad Men 2 dress. Well, my first Mad Men style dress. I traced a fitted shirt from my burda stash, and played around with it- FBA (!) then rotated out the horizontal dart, adding a pleat or two to the shoulder and the rest will he in the vertical dart.
This is my inspiration pic, but I've decided to leave the collar off as I think it would put me off wearing it. So instead the little pleats will add a little bit more interest. My plan is to take some of the fullness out of the waist and the arms, but leave enough to keep the feel, especially with something poofy underneath for pictures!

And my fabric of choice:

Like last time I tried a burda shirt, it came out much bigger than expected from sizing, but I think I can save it. (I gave up on fixing the princess seams of the last one and threw it out in the last round of clear-outs) So that is tomorrows job. Well, actually, tomorrows job is finishing attaching the gate that is half hanging off the wall, but maybe after that.


Did you hear about the Laurel contest? Huge! And 6 different categories. And no entry limit. One of the categories is aimed at we antipodeans currently going into winter (and boy don't we know it. Single figures here last night! I put a jumper on for the first time in months and months). I'm tempted, though I have no real ideas yet. Maybe something black and warm, to go with the crazy tights which may or may not be back in fashion. Or a Laurel "Christmas jumper"?
(These confuse me. I get it at Christmas. But Christmas jumpers in April just because its cold?!")
Closes 30th April, so some time to think still. Not much though :S

Then after that closes, its May... and we all know what that means!


And for a totally different kind of contest- I won't be sewing over Easter weekend because its the Australian National Band Contest. So excited! Keep your fingers crossed for us!

And finally, because no post is complete without cutesy dog photo:

Meeting your Heros, and falling to pieces!

I've mentioned briefly before that I play in a Brass Band. I play Euphonium, and have done since I was about 9 years old, though for the last 5 years I've not had chance to play often.

I used to be pretty good, but that was 10 years ago. Since then life got in the way. But when I was a teenager my hero was David Childs, a 3rd generation euph player from close to where I grew up, and about my age. He won the British Young Musician of the Year award in 2000, and anything he played I wanted to be able to play. Some I could, some I could only try. But I did try, Constantly!

And on Friday night he and his father Robert Childs, another world class Euphonium soloist, came to play in Perth. OMG. I was so excited! It was a small concert, and then they mingled with the audience afterwards. The Boy said he had never seen me so nervous about talking to anyone, ever. 

Meetings, interviews, presentations... Meh. 

Meeting my teenage hero... and I'm in pieces. 

Very excited, very happy, but unable to construct a simple sentence. 

The concert was awesome. I kept forgetting to breath!

Then the morning after they held a masterclass, full of hints and tips of how to play better, aimed at all levels. I had some great teachers growing up (helps that I grew up in the heart of brass banding!) but I still found out that I've been triple tonguing wrong for the past 20 years :) Not wrong exactly, but there is a better way. So thats something I'll be working on!

It also was the inspiration I needed to get me excited again. The band scene here in Perth is pretty sparse and there isn't much external to get you motivated. Until a few months ago I hadn't played properly for 5 years, yet I picked it up and the muscle memory meant I was still competent. People don't believe me that I was out of practice, and with nothing to really aim for there didn't seem to be much point in really trying. I could play what I needed to play...

 But hearing David playing a solo that I used be able to play was a bit of a kick up the bum to get practising again!

ANZAC Day 2012

Yesterday was ANZAC day. It was our first as Australian Citizens, and it felt a lot more real this year. Maybe it had something to do with pledging that I could be conscripted if the need arises, and with the way of the world at the moment, that is really quite scary.

 Here is what Wikipedia has to say:

Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as Anzacs. Anzac Day remains one of the most important national occasions of both Australia and New Zealand, a rare instance of two sovereign countries not only sharing the same remembrance day, but making reference to both countries in its name. When war broke out in 1914, Australia and New Zealand had been dominions of the British Empire for thirteen and seven years respectively.

In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of an Allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula, according to a plan by Winston Churchill to open the way to the Black Sea for the Allied navies. The objective was to capture Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, which was an ally of Germany during the war. The ANZAC force landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Army commanded by Mustafa Kemal (later known as Atatürk). What had been planned as a bold strike to knock the Ottomans out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915, the Allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. The Allied casualties included 21,255 from the United Kingdom, an estimated 10,000 dead soldiers from France, 8,709 from Australia, 2,721 from New Zealand, and 1,358 from British India. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians and New Zealanders at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which they remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war. 

Though the Gallipoli campaign failed to achieve its military objectives of capturing Constantinople and knocking the Ottoman Empire out of the war, the actions of the Australian and New Zealander troops during the campaign bequeathed an intangible but powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as an "Anzac legend" became an important part of the national identity in both countries. This has shaped the way their citizens have viewed both their past and their understanding of the present.

Despite federation being proclaimed in Australia in 1901, many argue the "national identity" of Australia was largely forged during the violent conflict of World War I, and the most iconic event in the war for most Australians was the landing at Gallipoli. 

Anzac Day is a national public holiday and is considered by many Australians to be one of the most solemn days of the year. After the First World War, returned soldiers sought the comradeship they felt in those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn. With symbolic links to the dawn landing at Gallipoli, a dawn stand-to or dawn ceremony became a common form of Anzac Day remembrance. Marches by veterans from all past wars, as well as current serving members of the Australian Defence Force and Reserves, with allied veterans as well as the Australian Defence Force Cadets and Australian Air League and supported by members of Scouts Australia, Guides Australia, and other uniformed service groups, are held in cities and towns nationwide. 

The Anzac Day Parade from each state capital is televised live with commentary. These events are generally followed by social gatherings of veterans, hosted either in apublic house or in an RSL club, often including a traditional Australian gambling game called two-up, which was an extremely popular pastime with ANZAC soldiers. The importance of this tradition is demonstrated by the fact that though most Australian states have laws forbidding gambling outside of designated licensed venues, on Anzac Day it is legal to play "two-up". 

I was up at 4:15, and  at the war memorial in Kings Park at about 5:15.

They show documentaries and footage on big screens before the service.

The dawn ceremony at Kings park is very traditional- the whole thing is mainly silent. 

Wreaths were laid, the last post was played, and for a long time people just stood in the cold silence of the early dawn light and remembered. After the formal proceedings, a short speech was made about while we were all gathered. After the ceremony, there was a flyover by some old bi-planes.

There were so many people there! I know its the capital city, and I've never been involved in a major town Remembrance parade in the UK, but I was astounded by how many people of all ages were there. One report I just read said that there were 40,000 people there!

After the dawn service, there was free gunfire breakfast (rum and coffee), and at 9:30 the main parade began. I marched with my new band. Its been a long time, but all went well.

This segment especially brought a tear to my eye. 

There were about 5 of them, probably at least in their 80s, walking behind the banner, and behind them the daughters and granddaughters of those who were no longer here.

After the parade, there is a religious service. While I am not religious, we stayed on because its still important to remember in our own way.