Planned book a memorial for Concert Band

TO celebrate the centenary of the Ballarat Memorial Concert Band, an e-book on the history group will be launched during Heritage Week in May 2020.

The band, whose members were originally returned soldiers from WWI, was founded in 1920 by Private H.J. Norman McWilliam.

As part of writing and preparing the book current band president Rebecca Paton said the work will be about those who played in the band, not a register of historical dates and achievements.

“We want the book to be reflecting of the people in the band and therefore of the Ballarat community that it represents,” she said.

“The band is its members.”

From its beginnings as a brass band it has seen many changes over the years, all part of the rich history of community bands in Ballarat – Royal South Street and Victorian Bands Association were both founded in the city.

BCMB is now a concert band that includes woodwind instruments as well as brass and has members of all ages, genders, abilities, occupations and interests.

Mrs Paton, an alto saxophonist, said it’s the stories of the people who played in, danced to, marched with and listened to the band that the committee is looking include in the e-book.

The story of one the early notable musicians Frank Wright – details of which are held in the Federation University Australia Historical Collection Geoffrey Blainey Research Centre – was discovered by the committee during time spent the Victorian Bands League archivist.

While the oldest historical pieces stored in the band hall are photos and minute books from the 1920s, the committee is interested in publishing stories from all the eras of the band’s performances.

“Our youngest player is an 11-yearold trumpeter – my daughter – and the oldest member is in his 70s while some of the players have been in the band for over 20 years.

“We’ve done begonia festival parades forever.”

The committee is seeking contributions of stories, images, recordings or other memorabilia related to the band from any period in the last century.

Rather than a simple record of names, dates and competition results, the e-book will be about the people, the changes, challenges, fun times and events that have shaped the organisation over the years.

“We are excited ourselves in anticipation of what we may find hiding in the boxes in the band hall.”