We’re taking our “Impressions!” concert on the road heading North!
So if you cant make it out on October 25th, make plans for November 2nd.
Details at our FB Page – https://www.facebook.com/events/377426743146006/
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“Impressions!” 25 Oct 2019, 7:30 pm
Our 2019-2020 season begins with our concert “Impressions!” The Band will be playing popular Brass Band repertoire such as Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s “When Thunder Calls” and Canadian Composer Kevin Lau’s “Impressions” and much more! In addition we’ll be featuring 2 young cornettists!
For more details visit us on FB https://www.facebook.com/events/493704961470112/
Bring your love of music and a friend or two!
Come join us for “Summer Chops” Reading Session 2.0!
If you’re a brass player or a percussionist, come join us in some fun music making – no pressure allowed! See our FB page for details. https://www.facebook.com/events/2375127829395493/
“Brass-ing Off!”
We’re back from Fort Wayne, and wish to thank everyone for their support. We’ve got repertoire from our Fort Wayne competition, Canadian repertoire – Thy Grand Redemption by Marcus Venables and Juno 1944 by Ty Watson, as well as a fun take-off from the 1996 film Brassed-Off written by Dan Price, and much more.
NABBA19 (April 5-7) – Rewarding!
We made it and Friday was very hectic!
First thing in the morning we loaded the percussion into Embassy Theatre for the 10pc Ensemble Class – we were the second group to perform! (no one likes being first). Our reward? Kewl!
Immediately afterwards was our group photo with one awesome photographer, Brad, from Performing Arts Photography. If you follow this link you’ll see the quality of what he and his team do! https://www.performingarts.photography/f88823210
Afterwards a quick dash to our rehearsal venue to get rid of “road noise” and do a bit of dusting before our afternoon performance in the Embassy Theatre!
Lunch was for some none, for others normal – but by 1pm we started into the “competition flow” meaning that we began by placing our instrument cases in the assigned room, then followed a volunteer down 6 flights of stairs (the little elevator for the bigger instruments) to the warmup room, then through the “catacombs” (the windy, twisty halls of the basement), to back stage.
Then! it was show time!!
Many of the musicians were a little uncomfortable with seeing a camera on stage, but that soon faded as the music began. At one moment it felt as if the world was slowing down, then shortly thereafter, it was over! A wonderful performance by all. Yes – quite tired, but so glad to hear that we moved up from bottom 3rd of the section to the middle 3rd!
The remainder of the weekend was being Band Geeks! Lots of great bands to listen to and lots of trades with instruments and music!
Cant wait to see what next year’s NABBA competition brings!
Our next event? This Friday, the 12th at St Mary’s – come here the repertoire we did in Fort Wayne and more!
UCB presents “Fall Fair”
OUR NEXT CONCERT – Friday 26 October 2018, 7:30 pm!
featuring Upper Canada Brass – a full size British-style Brass Band.
Repertoire to include:
Fall Fair – Godfrey Ridout (Canadian)
Great North Overture – Kevin Lau (Canadian)
King of Diamonds Overture – Calixa Lavallee (yes – the composer of our National Anthem)
Ex Terra Lucem – Jonathan Bates (UK)
Fire in the Blood – Paul Lovatt-Cooper (UK)
and much more!
“A Touch of Brass”
It’s been an exciting 2018 so far and to finish off before the summer, this Sunday (3 June at 3:pm) our “Brit-10-ish” will conclude with a special concert as guests of the Collier Street Music Program.
It will be an exciting afternoon of 
new music – a Canadian Premiere of “The Crossing” by Canadian composer Max Williams; we’ll also feature two young musicians from our community – David Hunter on French Horn, and Mia Legge on Cornet; more Canadian music; and other repertoire that you will love – a wonderful pot-pourri – something for everyone!
Looking forward to seeing you!
2017 in Review!
It’s with sadness that we say goodbye to 2017! But what a year!
It began with commissioning a wonderful Canadian composer Len Ballantine (Len Ballantine Music) for our British-Style Brass Band 10-pc ensemble “Brit-10-ish”. The result was “Agawa Impressions” – a wonderful work of 4 vignettes based on the stunning vistas of the Agawa Canyon north of Lake Superior inspired by the paintings by Canada’s “Group of Seven”. Our premier performance was in March at the North American Brass Band Association Championships in Fort Wayne Indiana where we were recognized with a 3rd place finishing. What a way to celebrate being Canadian performing a Canadian composer about a Canadian landscape and for Canada’s 150th Anniversary!
April was a busy month with being part of Barrie’s Collier Street United Church’s Palm Sunday Ministry of Music, on the 9th. A lovely lunch was provided us by the Church Choir, as that afternoon we were the guest artists of Collier Street Concert Series with a full programme where we performed the Canadian premier of the “Agawa Impressions” as well as other Canadian repertoire.
Two weeks later ALWM was the host ensemble of the Canadian Band Association (Ontario Chapter) 2nd Annual Community Brass Band Weekend. We had lots of fun making music with 40 other brass players with rehearsals all day Saturday and then performing a concert on the Sunday.
CBBW17 Rehearsal under the baton of Rita Arendz (Photo credit: Joe Resendes)
CBBW17 Rehearsal under the baton of Gerry Murphy (Photo credit: Rita Arendz)
There were very few musical ensembles that didn’t pay tribute to Canada. In June ALWM-5 were guest artists of the Barrie Concert Band’s “Made in Canada” Concert to a packed house.
3 Jun 2017 – Barrie, Ont – ALWM-5 Brandon McMackin (trumpet) performing during BCB’s Made in Canada concert
3 Jun 2017 – Barrie, Ont – ALWM-5 Kathleen Booth (trumpet) performing during BCB’s Made in Canada concert.
3 Jun 2017 – Barrie, Ont – ALWM-5 Fred Haire (Euphonium) during performance of BCB’s Made in Canada Concert
3 Jun 2017 – Barrie, Ont – ALWM-5 Rita Arendz (French Horn) continues our performance of Paul Bunyan Suite
3 Jun 2017 – Barrie, Ont – ALWM-5 Eric Probst (tuba) begins the our performance of Ben McPeek’s Paul Bunyan Suite
3 Jun 2017 – Barrie, Ont – ALWM-5 guests to Barrie Concert Band’s “Made in Canada” pre-concert photo op.
July was quiet with August providing music for a friend’s birthday at the prestigious Royal Canadian Military Institute in downtown Toronto.
Then came a new audience and a new venue in September – Tollendale Village. Our ALWM-11 (orchestral brass) took to the stage at the Meeting Place with coffee and cookies with the audience afterwards. They enjoyed our performance so much that within the week we were booked for 2018!
And as can be expected musicians get really busy between mid-November and Christmas time. Many of our members were involved with dozens of other concerts, but our ALWM-11 were honoured to collaborate with the Orillia Vocal Ensemble in “Christmas Voices” with all proceeds given to The Emergency Baby Needs Depot located at the Orillia Early Years Centre. Over $6000 was raised – what incredible hearts! And what a way to end an incredible year!
What’s for 2018? Watch and see!
Christmas is just around the corner!
After a busy spring, we took the summer off, and now we’re only a week away from our Christmas concert! How time has flown. Saturday 3rd December we are performing at St Margaret in the Pines Anglican Church (4130 Lawrence Avenue East, Scarborough). They were so kind in supporting us during our preparation for NABBA this past spring that all proceeds from this Concert will support their outreach program Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund. PWRDF is a non-profit organization for the Anglican Church which supports emergency relief, refugees, development and justice.
The repertoire covers hundreds of years of music for the season and will also feature David Murrell, organist of St Margaret, and then is even a wonderful work for brass and organ.
Looking forward to see you all there!
ALWM Brass Ensemble is going to NABBA – Fort Wayne Indiana
We’re so excited!
NABBA is The North American Brass Band Association and is dedicated to the promotion and development of the British-style brass band movement in North America. With bands and musicians covering 15 states and Canada as well as ranging from school-age youth to senior citizens, NABBA has become a true force in the arena of amateur musicians and brass banding across North America.
This year there are 38 ensembles (of which we are 1), 147 soloists (we have a few in there as well), and 35 bands – apparently a record breaker for NABBA!
To see more about NABBA please read http://www.nabba.org/
