A number of members of the local community concert band, The Delta Music Makers, are currently on a 17-day tour of significant sites in England and France and have performed six concerts.
After they had played their third amazing performance of their band tour in the city of Falmouth at the Princess Pavilion, five Music Maker members were invited to sit in with the Pendennis Brass by their conductor for a two-hour afternoon concert.
This performance would be in addition to the concerts by the Delta Music Makers at the Anderton Boat Lift, https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/anderton in the community of Chester, at the Princess Pavilion in Falmouth, in Beckenham (London), at the Wellington War Memorial (Arras, France) and the guest center at Juno Beach.
On Aug. 13, five members were privileged to join the Pendennis Brass in a concert opportunity at Falmouth in England.
The music was new to the Canadian musicians, but it provided a great opportunity to play pieces that are typically performed by British Brass bands.
The common language of music allowed the musicians, who had never met or rehearsed together before, to share their joint passion.
“The sight reading (seeing new music for the first time) was challenging, but I have a great love of British brass music and it was great to be a part of it,” said Wilf Radke, a trumpet player with the DMM for the last 27 years.
A DMM cornet player, Eric Gemmell, who has been with the band for the last 17 years, said he was honoured to be part of this concert and play with such excellent musicians.
Many of the DMM members chose to spend their afternoon in the Princess Pavilion watching their band mates perform.
“I have always maintained that music is the universal language,” said Curt Jantzen, the conductor of the DMM. “This joint concert is a great example. Our members have travelled some 4,500 miles, just finished a concert in hot weather to a very receptive audience, yet everyone who was invited to play said ‘Yes, they would love to play the unseen music the next day.’
“The musicians chose to do that instead of taking a pre-arranged tour. Many of the DMM’s members who were not performing also chose to spend their afternoon at the concert in Princess Pavilion to cheer on their brass and percussion people. I am proud to be associated with all these dedicated musicians who are not being paid; they are just playing for their love of music.”
