A Cobram college band has taken home silver at a prestigious music festival in Melbourne.
Cobram Secondary College’s Senior Concert Band performed at the Hawthorn Arts Centre in Melbourne’s east on Monday, August 26.
Guided by teacher and conductor Justin McLaren, the band enthralled audiences with performances of three compositions - ‘Gallant Marines’, ‘A Song for Peace’, and ‘Dark Ride’.
Cobram Secondary College vice-captain and percussionist Nikita Carroll said that it was a massive achievement for the band.
“The adrenaline getting on stage is massive,” Ms Carroll said.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
“There were a few complexities that we had to deal with,” Ms Carroll said.
For one, some band members had to use other peoples’ instruments.
Adding to that challenge, the band also had to quickly adapt to the Hawthorn Arts Centre's unique acoustics.
But despite these challenges, the band was able to come together and impress the festival organisers.
The day began for the band with a 7am bus ride from Cobram and didn’t finish until the bus returned from Melbourne at 8pm that evening.
It was also a sombre occasion for some, with this being their last festival before they graduate at the year’s end.
“The concert band is truly a family,” flautist Jessie Ashcroft said.
The Victorian School Music Festival provides opportunities for school-aged music students to perform in some of Victoria’s most prestigious venues, including Hawthorn Arts Centre and Christian College Geelong.