Sunday, March 11, 2018

BMA 2018 Goes Broadway!

If someone mentioned "BMA", you could be forgiven for either thinking it was some form of awards ceremony or even a particular form of body measurement. And it certainly isn't a mining corporation of any kind. BMA, in a local sense, is the abbreviation of the "Bellingen Music Association".

Music groups such as the Bellingen Youth Orchestra and the Bellingen Big Band are not uncommon for those that live on the Coffs Coast, especially with their growing reputation or longevity respectively. Then you discover more groups as you dig further, especially on the choral side of things, with the training concert band of "The Globetrotters", and the variety of male, female, and a cappella ensembles (Bromantics, SoHum, StellaBella, and AkaBella).

So where does the Bellingen Music Association fit in?

Simple. They provide administrative support for these groups that participate, meet, rehearse, and perform. Public liability insurance is a huge help towards these groups, especially if it's covering members and equipment. And if you are searching for any further expertise or resources, the association is your contact.

What's this about "Broadway"?



The BMA hold an evening each year to help raise money towards funding these ensembles, usually associated with a theme. I think it's been about six years since I last attended one of these evenings. I could expect the experience was going to be rather different with the different line ups of musicians involved within the groups.

The theme this year was based on the glitz and glamour of Broadway, as groups had a lot of music prepared in relation to musicals and theatre. Young and old dressed as different characters from musicals featured on Broadway, ranging from the paupers of Oliver, to the different witches of Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, the hippy generation of Hair, and even the suave and formal dress of many past productions. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed out of the house with my proposed outfit inspired by Elder Cunningham from The Book of Mormon, so instead I claimed my casual attire as being a puppeteer from Avenue Q.

The drinks flowed, much food was consumed, conversation was had with young and old (including musicians I've taught past and present), and a lot of music was enjoyed. The evening commenced with The Globetrotters, an ensemble of musicians in their early stages of learning combining students in the 20s with adults and seniors of the group. For me, it was great to finally hear the ensemble after working with many of the clarinettists at some point in time. The group has a lot of positives to take away from their set, including the encouragement of musicians to improvise in performance.

The surprise of the night had to be from the second group, the all male Bromantics. For all of us sitting at the "tutor table", I don't think we were prepared for the amount of gusto, tone, and ensemble that this group provided. Over 20 men on stage belting out some great renditions, including what I would title the Australian version of Do Re Mi where they sing about beer. Their female counterparts, SoHum, featured ensemble work that was just as strong and understood. Both groups should be proud of the work Jo Pierce has done with them.

Unfortunately I didn't get to hear as much of Stellabella due to instrument preparation and making sure the youth were together. I was hoping to hear more of this group since I work with their director, Phil Simon, at the primary school.

The Bellingen Youth Orchestra were next, and after the applause and tuning there was a hush across the whole hall. There had been nothing like it for the evening, and you could tell that everyone wanted to hear what the ensemble would present. I can only imagine these days that audiences don't know what to expect next from the youth orchestra. Could these kids top their 10th anniversary performance without most of the alumni? A short program comprising of medleys from Jesus Christ Superstar, Chicago, and lastly Wicked stunned the audience. There was no holding back from the orchestra, and the audience did not hold back either in giving a standing ovation. The audience wanted more but conductor, Ann Phelan, directed attention to the rest of the groups that would be performing that evening.

High school students Rosie and Finn performed a short bracket combining vocals, guitar, and double bass. It was a brief glance at some of the students looking to go further into performance as part of the music industry. Their music had a folk vibe to it, but a strong exhibition of independence.

Akabella came out, under the direction of Louise Gore, and straight away you were taken back to the 60s with the psychadelic outfits of the group. And it was no surprise when a bracket of music from Hair was performed, including the numbers Aquarius, and Let the Sunshine In.

The Bellingen Big Band concluded the evening with numbers from various shows, including featuring many members of the band and their lead singer. The dance floor opened up, and many people took advantage of it. The music had people moving so much that even Gillian Helfgott got up from her table and joined in with everyone else.

It's not just a credit to the groups that they all perform for one another and the public in one evening, but also to the BMA who lend their assistance in many ways. Who knows what will be in store for the 2019 gathering? I don't know, but everyone will be there to have a great time again.