WA Schools' Concert Band Festival

This event is run in partnership with the Australian Band and Orchestra Director's Association (WA). The 31st WA Schools' Concert Band Festival will be held at Perth Modern School from Thursday, 12 August to Sunday, 15 August, 2010.

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The aims of the Concert Band Festival are:

  • To give bands a performance opportunity at an outstanding venue.
  • To give band members an opportunity to hear other bands perform.
  • To provide each band with constructive comments from a panel of informed adjudicators.
  • To present to each band a certificate which recognises its participation and standard of performance.

The festival is open to any independent or government school concert band, with divisions catering for young, unbalanced, bands to experienced senior bands. The festival is not suitable for brass bands.

Bands perform within a division with a panel of adjudicators providing written and spoken comments. At the conclusion of the Festival, bands receive a certificate with a grading of Outstanding, Excellent, Merit or Certificate of Participation. Novice bands will not be graded, but will receive adjudication comments and a Certificate of Participation. Directors also receive two recordings of their band, including one with spoken adjudicator’s comments superimposed over the music.

Bands are expected to present an appropriate program of up to three pieces, which must include two pieces (A, B and C Divisions) or one piece (Premier Division) from the Music Selections List. Bands in Novice Division present a program entirely of their own choice.

This year, as a way of ensuring greater uniformity within divisions in the Music Selections List, a number of works have been “migrated” to a different division, or deleted altogether in order that lists conform to the following standards:

  • C Division = Grades 1.5 and below
  • B Division = Grades 2 and 2.5
  • A Division = Grades 3 and 3.5
  • Premier Division = Grades 4 and above

Own-choice items must be of at least equal difficulty to those listed for the division the band is performing in. Directors are advised to observe the published grade levels appropriate to each division in making additional selections. For more information or advice on repertoire selection email Neil Coy.

Please note:

  • Bands not presenting the required number of pieces from the Music Selections List, or an own-choice item of too low a grade difficulty, will only be eligible to receive a Certificate of Participation.
  • While teachers or other adults are permitted to play in participating bands, the band will only be eligible to receive a Certificate of Participation.

A keyboard and amplifier will be provided on stage for all sessions except the final session on Sunday 15 August. Bands in A Division requiring the use of an amplifier or keyboard should take this into account and select an alternate session.

Many of the scores and parts of the music of each division can be perused at the School of Instrumental Music Resource Centre. For further information contact Paul Duhig at the School of Instrumental Music.

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