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41st Melodienacht 2007
Run on the last Friday and Saturday of May every year, Tanunda Town Band’s now famous Melodienacht concerts are quite possibly the longest continuously run large scale musical event in the country. This year's performances were the band’s 41st Melodienacht Concerts, and also marked the launch of the new CD recorded by TTB, entitled Ein Prosit, which was recorded earlier this year.
As in previous years guests packed into Tanunda's famous Show Hall. The tin shed is celebrated in banding circles and is unique as a venue for Concerts. A shell-grit floor provides for an interesting acoustic environment. The shed was transformed with staging, lighting and decorations. The hall is filled filled with long slender tables and this year with individual chairs as opposed to the uncomfortable wooden planks of old. Guest's came well prepared with hampers of food and nibbles, not to mention plenty of liquid refreshments.
Compere again this year was well known South Australian radio personality Tony Pilkington. Pilko is a real crowd favorite with his rye sense of humor.
After band member introductions and the song Celebration with help from the TTB Hot Rhythm Combo, the BVBVs and Todd Martin, Tanunda Town Band commenced the evening’s program with Cartoon Overture.
Alicia Ludi-Schutz has been the band’s Principal Cornet for many years. This year she performed the well known cornet solo Napoli.
James Pratt Tenor with the State Opera, has been developing a fine relationship with the Tanunda Town Band. Pratt hails from South Australia's Yorke Peninsula in the mid north. He has studied singing with Robert Dawe for eleven years, but currently lives in Sydney where he has taken up a scholarship to study at the Sydney Conservatorium.
After his stand out performances from last year’s Melodienacht and Classics Concert it was no surprise the band invited him back again to perform at this year's Melodienacht. Pratt's rendition of Nessun Dorma was thrilling and there was nice backing from the band in the process.
The very famous Beatles number Penny Lane featured Justin Kennedy on Soprano Cornet, who shone as he emulated that very difficult Piccolo Trumpet segment in the piece. Following this was the James Bond Medley that was performed simultaneously to film segments on the big screens each side of the staging.
The band paid tribute to Melodienacht sponsor Grant Burge Wines with Meshach, composed by Musical Director David Polain. is a tribute to the Tanunda Town Band's Melodienacht sponsor and was composed by
Peter Hooper, Dave Palmer, Warren Heading, Jonathan Hunt, Brian Gray and Bill Polain are the musicians behind Royal Garden Jazz Band. This group entertained the Melodienacht audience and combined with Tanunda for the piece High Society followed by Todd Martin as Elvis. He wowed the audience with a very impressive Viva Las Vegas and American Trilogy.
One of the wonderful things about Melodienacht, and probably as famous as the show itself, is the Gluhwein! Such a tradition and a feature of the half time intermission. We'd smelt this delicious brew cooking from the side-room all evening. Compere Tony Pilkington has plenty to say about the ingredients every year, but lets just say, the warm spicy wine is truly superb and no one minds that the recipe is a well guarded secret.
The show wouldn't be a Melodienacht if the odd German Oom-pah number wasn't included. After a short intermission the second half commenced with the regulatory Ein-Prosit and Bayerische Schuplattler. Following this came the BVBVs, the combined singers of Deanna Polain, Celeste Hueppauff and Jessica Alderslade, delighted the audience with the well known Candyman, backed by the full band.
Gary Boland featured for a rendition of Body & Soul on Flugel, including jazz improvisation, and would be featured again later in the night during Sing Sing Sing.
James Pratt returned to the stage, and simply stunned the audience with the emotional The Music of the Night from the Phantom of the Opera.
Heavy was a Tuba Feature. Any why not, the instruments are such an important section of the band. Darren & Kathy Cameron, Martin van der Koogh, John Bartsch, Mike Magin and Adrienne Meikle had a lot of fun centre stage with this piece.
The Post Horn Gallop is a difficult enough piece at the best of times, let alone when played on a gun barrel. This year Neville Alderslade passed the infamous .303 rifle on to the next generation, Principal Cornet Jacob Staehr who undertook the honored roll with gusto.
There was more German Oom-pah numbers. Beer Barrel Polka, Trink Trink and Liechtensteiner but to name a few.
Highland Cathedral is one of the few pieces that successfully enables Brass Band and Pipes to combine effectively. With the hall spot light firmly on the SA Pipes and Drums, the pipers entered the hall and weaved their way through the audience. The pipers and drums then emerged on stage to combine with band in performance. It was a defining moment of the night's concert and as always was very moving.
Tanunda Town Band ended the 2007 Melodienacht with plenty of thanks to their loyal sponsors and supporters. The show ended with Amigos Para Siempre, and yes, another Ein Prosit.
Members of the Tanunda Town Band returned to the Band Room for well some deserved celebrations and a 150th Birthday cake. It's not quite their official birthday yet. This all happens on October the 6th this year. It's an occasion you'll not want to miss.
Adapted from a review by Andrew Stone
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Melodienacht 2006
40th Melodienacht Concert’s – Fri/Sat 25/26 May 2006.
In the immortal words of former TTB Musical Director Jim Dempsey, ‘this wasn’t just a ‘good’ Melodienacht but this was ‘great’ Melodienacht’.
Run on the last Friday and Saturday of May every year, Tanunda’s now famous Melodienacht concerts are quite possibly the longest continuously run large scale musical event in the country.
The Melodienacht phenomenon all began in 1967. So the story goes a local business identity of the time approached the band to run a concert, with the idea that it had to be “A programme of music that everyday people would want to hear – NOT Band Music!”. Yes, well, a bit of a tall order for a brass band to hold a concert without band music, but it spawned the concept of a musical program that has now proved so successful that it’s been held on the last Friday and Saturday of May every year for the last 39 years.
This year, it was evident that the band had researched what had been successful in past concerts. We had the admission from Principal Conductor Bob Hower that in the months leading up to the Melodienacht he’d spent many an hour in his spare time reviewing DVD’s and VHS tapes from Melodienacht concerts of old.
Special Guest artist this year was Peter Whish-Wilson, Principal Tuba with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
Peter requires little introduction amongst banding circles.
Born in Tasmania in 1958, Peter Whish-Wilson commenced Tuba studies at the age of 11 and soon began participating in solo competitions with great success, amongst many other successes being the Australian Junior and Senior EEb Tuba Champion in 1974, 75 and 76.
At 15 he moved to Melbourne to study at the Victorian College of the Arts. Two years later, after a European tour with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra, Peter was appointed Principal Tuba with the Elizabethan Melbourne Trust Orchestra (now the State Orchestra of Victoria).
In 1978 Peter joined the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) as Principal Tuba with whom he has been a featured soloist on many occasions. This includes television appearances and Young Performer of the Year (79, 80 & 81). He has also featured on CD playing Tubby the Tuba with Rolf Harris narrating, and his first full length CD of tuba concerti (with the ASO) will be released by ABC Classics later this year. Peter is already planning a follow up CD featuring a lighter style of music, with the string and rhythm arrangements by Australian composer/arranger Mike Kenny.
One of Peter’s many orchestral highlights was performing in the first Australian production of Wagner’s massive 17 hour Ring Cycle conducted by world famous conductor Jeffery Tate in 1998. In the 2006 Adelaide Festival of Arts, Peter performed the world premier of Elena Kats-Chernin’s Tuba solo ‘Stoccata’, written for Peter with the ASO.
In 2001, “Australia’s Band World” magazine compiled their “Band of the Century” featuring the best band players from around the country. Peter was chosen on tuba.
As well as being an outstanding performance artist, Peter is a highly regarded teacher and has held such positions as the Tuba lecturer at the Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide, since 1979; Canberra School of Music (1990-91); and the University of South Australia (1991-97) with many of his students going on to become music teachers and professional musicians. He was also the Tuba Instructor for National Music Camps (now Youth Music Australia) and artist in residence at the Riverina and Darling Downs Colleges of Advanced Education
Peter commenced his bracket early in the program with ‘Speak Softly Love’, which is the Love theme from the Godfather and ‘Here There and Everywhere’ made so famous by Lennon/McCartney.
A more serious work for Peter and the Band was ‘Concert Etude’ by Alexander Goedickie arr Ricks van der Velde.
Next on stage was a gentleman who stole the show for the evening.
James Pratt, Tenor with the State Opera we were told had been attending Melodienacht Concerts for the last 15 years.
This year it was his turn to shine as a performer before the audience.
James’s segment commenced with the well known ‘The Impossible Dream’. This was followed by ‘I am a Maiden’ and ‘Fugue for Tin Horns’
The 1st bracket and indeed every bracket thereafter finished with a selection of German Oom-pah songs, with vocal support from James Pratt and conducted by former Musical Director Neville Alderslade.
The 2nd Bracket commenced with the ‘Boy from Oz’
The Tanunda Town Band is proud to support local musical talent both in individual acts and supporting roles with the band. In fact, supporting local musical talent has almost come to be expected.
With this in mind, Leah Pairman (year 12 Nuriootpa High student) came on stage and impressed the audience with her band accompanied performances of ‘I’m beginning to see the light’, ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Moon dance’
Next on stage, was a show-stopping performance from ‘Gentlemen Prefer Curves’ – Carol Young, Catherine Campbell and Johanna Allen.
These 3 ladies captivated the Melodienacht audience with their humorous and infectious lyrics. Pick of their bracket in the 2nd segment must surely have been ‘Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps’
More Oom pah tunes resounded with vocals from James Pratt and Neville Alderslade conducting.
Ahh, the Gluhwein! Such a tradition and a feature of the intermission. We’d smelt this delicious brew cooking from the side-room all evening. Compare Tony Pilkington had been talking about it all evening.
Gluh-Wein in the making
Tanunda commenced the 3rd bracket with Bayrische Schuplatter, to grab the audience’s attention.
Then it was ‘Hornsmoke’, and an opportunity for members of the band to combine musical talents with their acting abilities. This was a musical act based on the Wild West.
‘Hornsmoke’ featured the talents of Alicia-Ludi Schutz (Cornetta) Thomas Ludi, Martin van der Koogh (Priest) Eric Molenaar and Geoff Meikle.
In behind the scenes, Hornsmoke presented the band with challenging and intricate accompanying work.
Peter Wish-Wilson returned to the stage afterwards for a performance of ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Flight of the Bumble Bee’. This was simply ‘stunning’ work and the sheer difficulty of the performance may have been lost on some of the audience.
James Pratt again won the accolades of the audience with a resounding performance of ‘Nessum Dorma’. The audience rising to their feet for a standing ovation.
The Band ended the 3rd bracket with the toe tapping Radetzky March by Strauss
The 4th bracket commenced with more sing along numbers, ‘She’s too fat’ and with Oscar Hammerstein’s ‘Edelweiss’ from the ‘Sound of Music’
Gentlemen prefer curves returned to the stage and again stole the limelight with their performances of ‘Viva Viagra’, a song all about, yes 4 Wheels drives and for the Crows faithful, a song dedicated to the Crows.
The show ended with Amigos Para Siempre – by Andrew Lloyd Webber arr Peter Graham.
This undoubtedly was one of the most successful Melodienacht’s in many years.
In what was a carefully researched programme there was something for everyone, but more importantly it was a ‘back to basic’s Melodienacht. Back to the tried and tested formula of entertaining the audience with a combination of band music, polished performances and entertainment numbers. It was the night that Tony Pilkington returned and won the audience over with his rye sense of humour.
Congratulations to Principal Conductor Bob Hower on what was a ‘Great’ Melodienacht for 2006.
The Tanunda Town Band would like to thank all involved in making this year's Melodienacht such a huge success, especially our guest Artists, Compere, Sponsors and all those behind the scenes that made the night so spectacular. Particular thanks to Adrienne & Geoff Meikle, Pete Snelling and Mark Smith for assisting in player positions on stage.
But most of all we thank our loyal supporters who join us year after year to celebrate this wonderful musical event.
 
 
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