A wonderful evening of top class music and song was delivered to a capacity audience attending Castlebar Concert Band’s Annual Concert held in GMIT last Wednesday October 25.
In addition to traditional marching songs, the much-loved town band showcased a varied repertoire that had feet tapping to hits including Eye of the Tiger, The Pink Panther, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Sweet Caroline and New York New York.
The band also hosted some very special guests including talented songster musicians The Garvey Brothers, singing the mellowest of tunes, accompanied also by fiddle player extraordinaire Tomas Langan. Accomplished uilleann piper Diarmuid Moynihan also joined the band on stage.
Unsurprisingly the concert finish was greeted with an encore and after the hard-working wind, percussion and assorted band members kindly played one last tune, special tributes were paid to Musical Director, Mary Curran and Castlebar Training Band Musical Directors Debbie Clarke and Dervilla Hynes.
Paying tribute, Chairman Tom Kelly said the band had enjoyed a wonderful year of concerts and open-air performances while rising to the challenge of learning some exciting new pieces under the direction of Ms Curran. The concert marked a culmination of these achievements.
Mary Curran expressed sincere appreciation to band members for their diligence, dedication and willingness to learn and master the many challenging new pieces. She added that the band was an organic entity, always open to new members and invited young and old interested in playing band music to make themselves known to Castlebar Training Band.
Castlebar Concert Band performers on the night included Sean Gavin, clarinet; Heather Gimson and Majella Basquille Regan, saxophone; Avril Kneafsey and Jack Loftus, concert flute; Debbie Clarke, Dervilla Hynes, John O’Donnell, John Caulfield and Vincent Jordan, trumpet; Jackie Graham, Helena Curran, Fionnuala O’hEalai, Jack Kelly and Daniel Clarke, tenor horn; Gunnar Tapper, tuba; Declan Hynes and Todd Burke, euphonium; Hanneke Wyers, Tom Kelly, Ian Lynch and Tommy O’Malley, trombone; John Kilkelly, Sean Moran, Jenny Lavelle and Luke Dunne, percussion.
Tributes were also paid by Chairman Tom Kelly to the many loyal patrons of Castlebar Town Band, without whose continuous support the band could not continue to grow, he said.
Funds raised at the concert will go towards a trip to New York that Castlebar Town Band members are looking forward to in 2019.
