Forty two students from the senior and swing bands have just returned from their 2010 tour of Tasmania.
The musicians left Bairnsdale on Tuesday 10th August, arriving in Melbourne in time to visit the Australian Centre for the Moving Image for the Tim Burton exhibition, before embarking for Devonport on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry. The planned journey to Cradle Mountain was cancelled due to the bad weather and an impromptu performance was organised for the students at Devonport High School. Later that day we travelled to Parklands High School and the accommodation for the night. On Thursday the band members combined with the students at Parklands High in a very successful shared workshop with their musical director David Turner.
The trip down the west coast to Rosebery High School was followed by a well advertised public concert that evening. On Friday the coach, car and two trailers were loaded for the trip across Tasmania to our accommodation in Rose Bay High School, Hobart. Saturday was a busy day with a big performance at Salamanca Market before a drive up to the top of an incredibly cold Mount Wellington. On Monday everything was repacked before a tour of Port Arthur and the three hour drive through the Tasmanian highlands before arriving at Launceston College. Our students showed considerable courage (and enthusiasm) the next morning at Treetops Adventure strapped into individual harnesses, flying-foxing at more than forty metres above the forest floor from one “cloud station” with screams of enjoyment.
The highlight of the tour was the workshop at Launceston College with Peter Quigley (the regional musical co-ordinator) who led the senior band through three lively band pieces. He made the point that the band musicians were playing at a significant musical level and would be very competitive at the Melbourne Band Festival. Peter congratulated the Bairnsdale staff for their achievements.
After a hasty drive to Devonport we boarded for the mainland, dinner and an early night before our final concert. On the final day of the tour the musicians summoned their last reserve of energy and gave their best performance at De La Salle College in Melbourne, a school that we hosted four weeks before in Bairnsdale.
The tour organisers would like to acknowledge the assistance provided by parents: Rosina McCutcheon, Hillary Rigg and Rick Lightowler, as well as the ex students: Will Larsen, Jack Damon, and our driver Jason Gillick.
