Whether young or old, working or retired, the Kamloops Community Band would like you to come play with them.
“We always like to get new folks in,” music director Cliff Noakes said Tuesday.
The first rehearsal of the year takes place Sunday at 7 p.m. in the music room at South Kamloops secondary. Noakes said anyone with two years instrument experience is welcome to come and play.
There were 30 to 35 musicians with the band during its final performance last season but only 20 people currently counted among the ranks, he said. Ideally, Noakes would like 10 more musicians to join.
Anyone who is interested can contact Noakes via email at csn1943@gmail.com">csn1943@gmail.com or band president Loren Phillips at emerald_cricket@yahoo.ca">emerald_cricket@yahoo.ca. Practice is every Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m.
“We welcome everybody and work with what we have,” said Noakes.
The band’s repertoire consists of major works for concert band, traditional marches, show tunes, movie music and jazz and pop standards. He said musicians also perform original compositions by local composers.
The band has about five performances per season including two benefit concerts, one for the Chase Christmas Hamper Fund and another for the Canadian Diabetes Association. There are also concerts at the High Country Music Festival and Art in the Park on Canada Day.
Former school trustee and high school music teacher Dick Dickens formed the Kamloops Community Band in 2000 to provide young musicians with a venue to perform outside of high school.
