A large marching band created an amazing sight and sound spectacle seldom seen or heard in these parts.
Students from Our Lady of the Rockies High School in Calgary provided a unique listening and visual experience for the Chemainus community Friday at the Rotary Bandshell in Waterwheel Park during an impromptu performance while on a visit to the south Island.
The performance came together through a booking at the Chemainus Theatre Festival to see ‘Ghost The Musical’ as part of their end-of-the-school year trip. The theatre’s booking agent Karen Sharanowski alerted Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society president Bev Knight about the band wanting to do a public performance while the students were in town and Knight opened up the bandshell to make that happen.
“The students are very excited to travel to the Island,” noted Vince Strem, the instrumental music teacher at Our Lady of the Rockies High School in advance of the trip. “Many have never left Calgary and the more they perform the better.”
Those folks in town who got to see and hear them on short notice received a real treat.
They didn’t quite get the full impact of some 80 students playing while marching, but it was still an inspiring performance while stationary. It was impressive seeing the musicians crammed into and in front of the bandshell with their instruments and many of them aren’t tiny so it was quite a feat to play under those circumstances.
“We are excited to be here,” Strem told the audience before the performance started.
The Sound of the Rockies Marching Band includes students in Grade 10 through 12 and is one of Canada’s last remaining high school bands. The program has been in operation since 1986 and has grown considerably, made up of brass, woodwind, percussion and colour guard.
There wasn’t enough room for the colour guard members that included flag performers and dancers, but they were still visible to the side of the stage in Waterwheel Park.
The band normally encompasses about 100 students, Strem said, with a large percentage being total beginners, although you wouldn’t know it.
“It’s also fun to stand still to play at times,” he added.
The band performed for about a half hour and the set list included many familiar favourites.
Strem had senior students conducting the numbers as part of their leadership experience. The band opened with Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline and the Blue Swede version of Hooked On A Feeling.
Some fun compositions followed, including a mash-up of Earth Wind and Fire’s Getaway/September, a Daft Punk medley, Spanish Parade sequence, Jazz Police and Latin parade sequence that included the vibrant sounds of Santana’s Oye Como Va.
The audience thoroughly enjoyed the performance and it all ended too soon.
“We have a whole group of people that come with us that are staff,” Strem explained. “They do a fantastic job. Many of them are professionals in their industry. They’re the reason the kids have this experience.
“There’s another group of people who travel with us and spend the whole year with us and do all the logistical organization.”
And Strem is grateful for the backing of what he calls “the best parent association on the face of the earth.
“I feel like I’m a snowball rolling down the hill. It’s driven by our parents and the enthusiasm of our staff.”
Strem has been directing the band since 1999 and “I’m teaching kids’ kids right now,” he laughed.
“I have the best job in the world. I’m so privileged to be in this job.”
The program has meant the world to senior students like Curtis Huyghe.
“It’s a lot of community, something I didn’t have coming out of COVID,” he said. “I really love music. It’s a lot of passion mixed with people.”
The band goes on a trip every year. Strem had been to Chemainus before in the early 2000s and wanted to return while incorporating a visit to Victoria.
“It’s the payoff for their hard work,” he said. “They rehearse all year long.”
The Chemainus Theatre showing of ‘Ghost The Musical’ was a highlight. “They loved the theatre performance,” said Strem. “They went bananas.”
A special arrangement was made for them to talk to the actors and ask questions afterwards.
The rest of the trip included: appearing in the Sidney Canada Day parade; a team-building exercise on the legislature lawn and a visit to Butchart Gardens.
Upon the return home, the band’s next appearance is in the famous Calgary Stampede parade.
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don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
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