Centre stage: Bendigo United Brass conductor, Colin Wellard, who worked in Rochester at REDHS for five years, was back in town to lead his band in a free community concert on Sunday.
A drummer with Bendigo United Brass Band and a long-time Rochester resident found something in common when they met for the first time at Rochester Shire Hall on Sunday.
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David Turpie, a drummer with the band that performed a free concert for the Rochester community, and multi-generational Rochester resident Peter Anderson had relations involved in the Rochester bands of the 1930s.
David was shocked to discover a photograph of his clarinet-playing grandfather, Frederick Turpie, on a historical board produced especially for the occasion by the Rochester Historical Society.
“I think it is my grandfather,” when he looked more closely at a tall and thin man in the back row of a grainy photograph from almost 100 years ago.
Both his grandparents were also talented organists.
He confirmed it was Frederick Turpie when he rang his father, who told him that the former Inglewood man used to travel to Rochester to play in a band.
“He used to own a milk bar in Inglewood and apparently played the clarinet,” David said.
Peter Anderson’s great-great uncles Jack and Len Barrett were also in the band, as was his grandfather.
“My mum could remember them playing down beside the river when she was young,” Mr Anderson said.
He had a relation play at his mum’s wake in recognition of the family’s strong connection to brass bands in Rochester.
He said his uncles were also fireman in the town. The band itself was award winning, having returned successful from a competition in Tasmania.
Colin Wellard, who conducts Bengido United Brass, said there was an eclectic group, from all over the state involved in its make up, including a 15-year-old drummer and 90-year-old bass player Bryan Brewer.
“We have memebers from Wonthaggi, Warragul, Bendigo, Horsham, Melbourne and Geelong. We are a little different to your normal brass band, we are more of a social group — just a bunch of mates who get together to play.”
Colin worked at Rochester and Elmore District Health Service for five years, as corporate services manager, and maintains a connection with Rochester through his latest role which involves working with St Joseph’s Primary School.
“We have a former school teacher from Echuca a farmer from pyramid hill and the principal of a school in the band, among others,” he said.
He explained the decision to play at Rochester came as a result of the group wanting to “provide a little relief through music’’.
The band played a variety of music, including hits from the Beatles, Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler, Bohemian Rhapsody by rock band Queen, a Frank and Nancy Sinatra tune (Somethin’ Stupid) that was covered by Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman in 2001 and an ABBA compilation, which was a big hit with the jam packed crowd.
“We only had a couple of cassettes when I grew up and ABBA’s greatest hits was one of them. Fernando (ABBA hit) haunted me for a long while after it spent 14 weeks on top of the charts, but Arrival was one of my favourite albums of all time,” he said
Brain ‘child’: Jan Childs was the enthusiastic individual who, together with the Rochester Community House and Campaspe Shire, put together the concert that attracted more than 100 people to the shire hall.
Sweet sound: Nick Beale from Wonthaggi on the Euphonium (which is an ancient Greek word meaning sweet voiced), alongside three of his brass instrument playing band members.
Going solo: Bendigo United Brass Soprano Cornet Geoff Timcke performs his part in the concert at Rochester Shire Hall on Sunday.
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