The Creswick Brass band is bringing the sound of history back to Ballarat once again this Sunday as part of the Ballarat Heritage Festival.

The Happy Band from the Central Highlands is bringing the old tune beats to Ballarat’s CBD during Ballarat Heritage Festival. They’ll be playing at the Ballarat Train Station this Sunday, May 25 from 12 noon to 1pm as part of the wider festival program.

The Creswick Brass Brand plays regularly around Creswick and district at community events such as ANZAC Day, Australia Day and other functions and parades.

Currently playing in C Grade, Creswick has previously been State and National Champions in D Grade. Due to the growing number of members a second band was established in 2020, Jubilee Brass Band, who currently play in D Grade.

The Band has members ranging in age from eight to eighty, playing a wide range of music from traditional to modern.

Members say the band has a strong and growing Learners Program, and teaches music and brass technique to anyone who wants to learn, providing instruments for those that wish to take up banding.

Creswick Brass Band members are busy rehearsing for their upcoming cabaret night set for Saturday August 31 from 6:30pm at the Creswick Senior Citizens Centre.

Band members are encouraging all music lovers to grab a ticket and say it will be a night of fun with prizes, raffles, silent auctions and great music.

Tickets are $20 per adult (kids under 12yrs are free) and can be purchased online through Trybooking, or scanning the QR code on the poster if you see it around Creswick.

The band is also selling raffle tickets which are $5 each, $10 for 3 tickets or $35 for 10 tickets to win:

1st Prize: RACV Resort Creswick $300

2nd Prize: Creswick Woolen Mills $200

3rd Prize: American Hotel $100

The award-winning Creswick Brass Band is headed to Clunes later this month to perform as part of the annual Book Town Festival.

The band is a community outfit made up of local residents with members aged from eight to 80.

It has gained a reputation for being “the happy band of the Central Highlands” whose members love to perform at local events with the annual Book Town festival among their favourites.

Members say the band is also happy to give lessons to anyone willing to learn.

They’ll be playing at the Clunes rotunda from 2.30 to 5.15pm on Saturday March 23 as part of the free community entertainment that will be on offer as part of the festival that’s celebrating its 18th year and takes place over March 23-24.

Featured guests who will be appearing in discussion during the festival include Helen Garner, Jane Clifton, Wayne Macauley, Jacinta Parsons, Alice Pung and Nicole Chvastek.

Creswick Brass Band has extra reason to feel festive after being named Band of the Year at the recent Lions Blue Lake Festival in Mount Gambier, South Australia.

Facing plenty of talented competition from around Victoria and interstate the Creswick band came second in the contest street march, won best band in the Christmas parade, best hymn on the day, best stage march (open C Grade), took first place in the Open C Grade competition and ended up being named Band of The Year.

Competition for the November 18 event included bands form Adelaide, Ballarat, Mount Gambier, Warrnambool, and Portland. Tastefully decked out as Christmas trees for at least some of their public appearances, the members of Creswick Brass had particularly impressed as they took to the streets of Mount Gambier for the Christmas parade.

“I think we were all extremely proud,” said band member and cornet player, Sheena Johnson.

“It made all the hard work worthwhile. Our director works magic and all of the musicians in the band are very talented and very loyal.”

Taking the multiple awards is a big coup for the local band whose existence dates all the way back to the 1800s with some leaves of absence, however, due to world wars, global pandemics and the like.

It’s clearly now back with a vengeance and some 60 members whose ages range from about eight to about 80, says Creswick Brass Band president, Rob Ohlsen who plays tuba.

“We play anywhere and everywhere and it’s starting to really get back now,” he said.

“It was very slow over Covid for us and for a lot of bands. We have everything brass from cornet to tuba and also percussion, and a main focus for us now is percussion. We need more percussion.

“We are a happy band and very family oriented and we do lots of different gigs. We practice on a Thursday night at the Senior Cits in Creswick so people who are interested can just roll up.”
Rob says beginners are welcome with a beginners’ practice session at 6pm and the more advanced rehearsal session from 7pm.

“Music is just universal. Everyone loves it and giving enjoyment back to people is great,” Rob says.

Having acclimatised to the festive season vibe during its Mount Gambier coup, the band is now looking to play plenty of live public gigs in the lead up to Christmas, including the community Carols at The Courthouse event being hosted by Creswick Theatre Company this Saturday, December 9.

The carolling gig and the many other performances that the band has lined up between now and Christmas offer great opportunities to check it out, enjoy its big brassy sound and maybe even think about joining up, Rob says.

There’s other performances coming up in Creswick including evening gigs at Creswick’s ‘Christmas House’ on Creswick-Ballarat Road on December 23 and 24.

The upcoming Carols at The Courthouse event will also feature community carolling led by local singers including members of the Creswick Chorus, local school children and anyone else who wants to get along, flex their own vocal chords and let the seasonal joy rip. Words: Eve Lamb.