Albany City Wind Ensemble back together for A Touch of Class

Albany City Wind Ensemble will finally burst out in song as their long-awaited concert goes ahead later this month.

The 50-piece concert band will at last get to perform at their concert A Touch of Class, one year after it was originally scheduled.

Known for their big gala variety concerts under the baton of Sue Findlay, the ensemble’s latest performance next Saturday will be a step in a different direction.

A Touch of Class will be a celebration of Albany, featuring guest musical director and local musician Alan Burnfield, an all-local band, four local soloists, and MC Sebastian Harris.

While some concert band music has a military band feel, Mr Burnfield has chosen a more intimate sound and variety of music styles, including some of his own compositions.

There will be a selection of music from the 18th-21st centuries with the symphony orchestra repertoire providing “lots of variation in the sound colours you can get from different combinations of instruments or a reduced number of players”.

ACWE will also play two pieces from Australian composer Percy Grainger, who wrote extensively for wind ensemble.

When asked what his favourite piece from A Touch of Class was Mr Burnfield chose film song Gabriel’s Oboe.

“You are not supposed to have a favourite child, but the theme from the 1986 movie The Mission, with a beautiful oboe solo, has to be one of the greatest bits of film music ever written,” he said.

Catch ACWE in concert from 7.30pm on June 26 at Oceans Church.