THE second annual Grampians Brass Festival will take place on Saturday.
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This year the event will be held at the Stawell Entertainment Complex due to the redevelopment of the Ararat Performing Arts Centre.
The event was created by Ararat City Band, led by Sandra Pope as a way of showcasing accomplished brass bands from Western Victoria.
Bands from across the region will present a 30 minute, themed repertoire.
The bands have been encouraged to use costumes and theatrics to bring their performance to life.
Prize money will be on offer, and bands will be judged on their overall entertainment value, costumes and musical choices rather than their playing ability, as is the case with more traditional brass band competitions.
Ararat City Band secretary Amy Stevens said the Grampians Brass Festival would be a chance for bands to show off a variety of talents.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for bands to show the public they are no longer just about hymns and marches,” she said.
“They are now playing a wide range of music depending on the occasion and audience; everything from folk tunes to hard rock.”
Last year the festival performances included a circus complete with jugglers, a uni-cycle rider and plenty of clowns.
There were also movie theme tunes with guest appearances from Shrek, Super woman, Papa Smurf, minions, pirates, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and a wave of Mexicans complete with sombreros and ponchos.
There was also a selection of songs from musicals with the Phantom of the Opera conducting, some dubious-looking nuns from Sister Act, and of course Greased Lightning complete with Sandy, Danny, a T-Bird and a Pink Lady.
Ms Stevens said it would be a great night of entertainment that would be for people of all ages.
The Grampians Brass Festival will start at 7pm on October 7 at Stawell Entertainment Centre with tickets $10 at the door.
Ararat City Band will also perform at the Trash ‘n’ Treasure market at Alexandra Hall on Sunday.
For more information, contact the Ararat City Band Facebook page.