A Heartbeat Away is a feel-good Australian musical comedy from international Emmy award winner and acclaimed theatre director Gale Edwards.

Kevin Flack (Sebastian Gregory) has a dream – to play lead guitar in a famous rock and roll band. But being a Rock God in the sleepy seaside town of Montague isn’t easy. And neither is living at home with your mum and dad and your idiot younger brother.

Kevin longs to break free while his father – Edwin Flack (William Zappa) – is proud of his Montague heritage and for the past twenty years has been totally obsessed with his one love – the town’s Municipal Marching Band.

Today, the Band faces a crisis. The Montague Council is preparing to demolish the community hall, the band’s long time home. As the band prepares for the upcoming regional championships, Edwin is hit by a bus and Kevin is forced to take over as musical director.

At the same time, the local Mayor (Colin Friels) convinces the Council to close down the Band in order to make way for a tourist development project. But Kevin strikes a deal and the Mayor agrees that if the Band win first prize in the competition then their future is assured.

With the help of Mandy (Isabel Lucas) – the Mayor’s daughter – Kevin must get the Band on his side, rearrange an iconic rock song for brass and totally overhaul their dated routine…

All in four short weeks…  And of course, his father must never find out.

aheartbeatawaymovie.com

This film will be released on March 17th through Hoyts Distribution.

The 2010 Windsor Brass Awards were announced at an informal pizza dinner not too far from the Windsor School of Arts where both bands will be returning to next year. Congratulations to all winners!

Howard Taylor's Farewell Concert

After a very successful 8 years with the Brisbane Excelsior Band, Howard Taylor says farewell to the Band in a Concert on Saturday 24 July 2010.

• 5 times consecutive Australian National Champions 2005 to 2008 & 2010;
• New Zealand National Champions 2007-2008;
• Australian Representative by invitation, to British Open Brass Band Championships UK in 2009.

We've done it again!

Brisbane Excelsior have once again brought the prestigious Fireman's Helmet back to Brisbane, winning the Championships - 16 points ahead of second placed Kew Band Melbourne.

This makes it a total of 5 National Championships won by the band since Howard Taylor took over the baton, allowing Howard to leave the band on a high.

From 4barsrest.com:

Return victory

The Queensland based band returned to the event this year after deciding not to defend its title in Sydney in 2009, following four successive victories at the contest.

The result brings to fitting close the highly successful 8-year tenure of Howard Taylor, who has decided to step down as MD following the championships.

Commanding win

Brisbane’s performances of the set work, ‘Extreme MakeOver’, own choice selection of ‘Dreams’ by Bertrand Moren, plus hymn and march disciplines gave them a commanding 16 point winning margin over runner up Kew Band, with Brisbane Brass in third.

Large variance

The adjudicator Johan de Meij was complimentary about the overall standard of performances he had heard over the four sections of the contest, although a closer look at his markings (especially for his own set work) revealed a large variance in the points awarded.

Brisbane Excelsior gained 188 points for their performance of the adjudicator’s own ‘Extreme MakeOver’, with Brisbane Brass some 8 points behind in second. Both Kew and Warringah Concert were a further 3 points further back in joint third.

Meanwhile, Footscray-Yarraville in 6th were 23 points behind the leaders, with Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia Brass, who were placed 14th, a massive 34 points adrift.

Recovered deficit

Kew, conducted by Mark Ford, recovered some of the 18 point deficit they found themselves facing on the second day, when they produced a fine account of ‘…Dove Descending’ to win the own choice section of the contest and come second to Brisbane in the march section.

Dreams come true

However, Brisbane’s ‘Dreams’ of a fifth National title under Howard Taylor’s command were realised as they managed to end just 3 points behind their rivals on the own choice and take the March element by a point.

Brisbane Brass meanwhile could only manage 5th place with their own choice selection of ‘Paganini Variations’ and were placed 6th on the March discipline to end a single point behind Kew in third.

In the final placings, 4th was taken by Warringah Concert, with Glenorchy in 5th and Footscray Yaaraville, who won the opening ‘Hymn’ element of the contest in 6th.

A Grade:

1. Brisbane Excelsior, (42+188+184+46) = 460
2. Kew Band, (35+177+187+45) = 444
3. Brisbane Brass, (43+180+179+41) = 443
4. Warringah Concert Brass, (37+177+180+42) = 436
5. Glenorchy City Concert Brass, (35+161+182+44) = 422
6. Footscray-Yarraville City, (44+165+170+40) = 419
7. City of Holroyd Band, (42+175+162+37) = 416
8. South Brisbane Federal, (38+158+175+43) = 414
9. Hobart Brass Band, (36+161+178+38) = 413
10. Darebin City Brass - Preston, (40+157+177+39 = 413
11. K&N Spring Gully Brass, (39+160+165+36) = 400
12. Boroondara Brass, (40+162+159+33) = 394
13. Hawthorn Band, (42+155+160+35) = 392
14. Royal Agricultural Society of WA Brass, (34+154+158+34) = 380