Brass bands bring musical Christmas

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Kim Brundle-Lawrence, Lachlan Hindrum, 13, Ryan Stuart, 11, and Stuart Stenton, 12, warm up their instruments in preparation for the Christmas concert. Picture: Geoff Robson.

Story by Andrew Mathieson

After 75 years of making top brass, this year's Christmas concert could have an extra special touch for its milestone performance.

The turnout of members from the Invermay Boys Band with their wartime festive carols should ensure it will be standing room only inside the walls of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

The brass band that started on the north side of the Tamare River has, of course, evolved into the City of Launceston RSL Band follwoign names changes that included the Invermay Silver Band Band and Northern Suburbs Silver Band.

"With all bands, we would have celebrated with something at Christmas every year." bands leader Kim Brundle-Lawrence said.  "We've already had a couple of the original band members that joined the band 75 years ago come along and listen."

The band today, decked out in unmistakable red, is not just a boys band or of one gender.  Men and women, fathers and sons, brothers and sisters and uncles, aunties and cousins - aged from 11 to 75 - give the musical act a real feeling of family and community.

And the sounds of cornets, tenor horns, flugel horns, trombones, baritones, percussion, drums and basses at the back is an inclusive as the people who flock to it each year.