Canning City Brass Band

History

This history page is slowly being built up as more information comes to hand. Select from the following links:

Brief History
Original Minutes
Performance Highlights

Brief History

Canning City Brass Band is a community based band sponsored by the Canning City Council. The band plays at over 30 engagements each year including naturalisation ceremonies, street marches, public concerts and state and national contests. The band has won 'A', 'B' & 'C' grade state contests and competes nationally every two years.

Canning City Brass Band (formerly Canning Civic Band) was formed in 1974 by some members of the recently disbanded St. John Ambulance band. One of those members, John Burgoyne, now a life member of the band, purchased the instruments and approached the Canning Civic Council to start a band. On 29th March that year, a public meeting was held and a result the "Canning Civic Band" was formed. (Click here to see the minutes from that meeting.) In 1982 the band changed its name to "Canning City Brass Band'.

The first music director appointed was Royce Clarke who was a former Chief Bandmaster and qualified Drum Major in the Royal Australian Navy. Royce was a champion soprano cornet player who had started his brass banding career in 1928 with Bunbury City Band. He was also a member of City of Perth Brass Band for 16 years where he was conductor until taking up the post with Canning. Since Royce Clarke retired from the band in 1980, the band has had a number of Music Directors including Mr Brooks, Richard Read, Peter Poole, Kevin Foale and Captain (Retired) Fred Rooke.

The band's first public performance was Carols by Candlelight for the council on 22nd Dec 1974. Following this successful event the band played at Supreme Court Gardens in February 1975. In the same year the band competed and won it's first Western Australian Band Association (WABA) 'C' grade state championship. The following year the band competed in 'B' grade and have gone on to win around 20 'B' grade championships over the next 25 years

Performance Highlights

Over the years the band has performed at a number of high profile events throughout Western Australia. Some of the highlights have been:

1974 - First public performance, at Canning City’s Carols by Candlelight
1979 - Competed in the Australian National Band Championships held in Perth
1984 - Performed at Government House for Princess Anne
1985 - Performed with Jackie Love at the Western Australia Football League Grand Final.
1986 - Performed at the opening of the international airport in Perth, attended by Prime Minister Paul Keating
1986 - Competed in the Australian National Band Championships held in Adelaide
1987 - Competed in the Australian National Band Championships held in Launceston
1987 - Performed in commercial with Barry Crocker for the opening of a major variety retailer
1991 - Competed in the Australian National Band Championships held in Adelaide
1995 - Competed in the Australian National Band Championships held in Brisbane
1998 - Competed in the Australian National Band Championships held in Melbourne
1999 - Celebrated 25 years of the foundation of the band with a special anniversary concert
2003 - Returned to A grade at the state level after winning 4 consecutive B grade championships
2003 - Competed in the Australian National Band Championships held in Newcastle