Leura Gardens Festival

We are pleased to announce that the following musicians will be performing:

BLUE MOUNTAINS CONCERT BAND

Blue Mountains Concert Band is comprised of adult musicians from all walks of life: from university students to retirees, from working adults in diverse professions to dedicated classroom and studio music teachers. Some are lifelong musicians; others started playing in adulthood or are developing skills on second or third instruments.

The band has a charter of service to the Blue Mountains community. In addition to its roster of service, the band presents its own annual concerts. These concerts allow members an opportunity to showcase their musical talents and are undertaken in combination with guest artists, chamber groups, dancers and various local ensembles.

The band's repertoire ranges from cabaret to chorale, from symphonic composition to cinematic medley. Under the guiding hand of professional conductor Lachlan Foster, Blue Mountains Concert Band upholds its enduring position at the heart of community music in the Mountains.

The band will be performing on Sunday 6 October at 11.30 at The Braes in Leura

https://www.bmcb.net.au

FRETBUZZ

The swampiest noire folk roots combo this side of Sydney.

We play a mix of songs both original and reinterpreted, mostly about the seedier side of life, but with love and reverence.  Fretbuzz has been compared to Charles Bukovski, but with a strong sense of melody.

Features Frank Corby on vocal and guitar, Pam Allen on vocal and percussion, Leigh Birkett on guitar and vocal, and Adam Florence on bass and distillery.

Performing on Sunday 6 October at 11.30am at Tree Tops in Wentworth Falls

HEATHENS CHOIR

The Heathens is a community choir based in Blackheath, NSW, in the heart of the Blue Mountains world heritage listed national park. The choir was founded in 2009 by Christine Wheeler and sings a mixture of folk, world and popular music arrangements.The choir now numbers over 50 members from the Blue Mountains area.

We cater for a range of interests and abilities from keen starters, who have never read music before, to fluent music readers familiar with singing in four parts. The common factor is an interest in music and a community of people who want to have fun whilst performing music to a high standard and entertaining others.

Our name, The Heathens, is an oblique reference to where we sing (Blackheath), not an expression of our spiritual predilections. We are of no creed and every creed – Imagine all the people living life in peace.We perform at local festivals, including the Blackheath Choir Festival, the Rhododendron Festival and the Leura Gardens Festival. We sing at the Ivanhoe Folk Club, community and BANC events, special events and in nursing homes.

Performing on Sunday 6 October at 1pm at Himalaya in Leura

https://www.heathenschoir.org

KANIMBLA TRIO

The Kanimbla Trio comprises three well known Blue Mountains string players:

Rebecca Daniel, violin
Elizabeth Cooney, violin
Trish McMeekin, cello

They will perform an eclectic variety of music including popular classics and well known and loved classics with some surprises!

All designed to enhance the spring like mood of the Leura Gardens Festival.

Performing on Saturday 5 October at 10.30am at Avila in Leura

Performing on Monday 7 October at 11.30am at Himalaya in Leura

https://www.kanimblaquartet.com

RADUGA TRIO

"Raduga”– meaning rainbow or joyous arch – is an eclectic, energetic and exciting take on a raw gypsy style. 

Original compositions and arrangements of melodies and songs from around the world on the clarinet, piano accordion, gitano guitar, acoustic bass, spoons and other percussion, flavoured with singing in Slavic and Roma languages. 

The trio plays without looping or digital devices – truly live performance with high audience participation, expressed in dance, clap and sing along! 

Raduga Trio performed and gave traditional European village dance workshops at the National Folk Festival, Sydney Folk Festival, Newcastle Fringe, Illawarra Folk Festival, Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival, Blue Mountains Music Festival, Cygnet Folk Festival, to name a few, and multiple multicultural festivals and top venues.

The Trio will be performing on Saturday 5 October at 12pm at The Braes, Leura.

RIVERLAND HARMONY CHORUS

Riverland Harmony Chorus is a Women’s Barbershop Chorus who loves to sing, perform and entertain!

Festivals, charity events, birthday parties, Christmas functions – you name it – we love it all! We also take part in Eisteddfods and National Barbershop Conventions.

We sing a cappella in 4-part harmony in the Barbershop style. Our repertoire is very versatile and includes rock and pop songs, popular show tunes and more, all especially arranged in the barbershop style.

Our Music Director is Nerryl Liston. An accomplished musician herself, Nerryl has been the Music Director of Riverland Harmony Chorus since 1994.

Riverland Harmony Chorus is part of Sweet Adelines International, a worldwide singing organisation for women barbershop singers, and one of 32 Sweet Adelines Choruses in Australia and more than 500 world-wide.

Performing on Friday 4 October at 12.30pm at Seasons in Leura

https://www.riverlandharmonychorus.org

WOMBATS CROSSING

Christine Wheeler, Rebecca Daniel and Leigh Birkett connected during the recording of Christine’s album ‘Rain in the Mountains: Songs from Henry Lawson’ in 2012. Their sound is a rich blend of delicacy, strength and Celtic beauty utilising Christine’s exceptional folk singing skills, Rebecca’s experience as an orchestral lead violinist and Leigh’s capacity for harmonic invention. 

Christine’s extensive experience as a folk artist includes 10 years with Wheelers and Dealers Celtic band, 13 years with Musica Viva in Schools trio Pastance, multiple recording commitments and a compelling track record as a community choir leader.

Rebecca’s distinguished career as a soloist and orchestral violinist gave her a love for beautiful melodies, which she finds in abundance in the rich veins of Celtic song and instrumentals. Leigh is a skilled and intuitive guitarist and bouzouki player whose musical imagination adds harmonic depth to their 3-part arrangements.

Wombats Crossing is a folk trio in the style of a chamber music group – a rich blend of strength, delicacy and Celtic beauty utilising Christine’s exceptional folk singing skills, Rebecca’s distinguished experience as an orchestral lead violinist and Leigh’s boundless capacity for harmonic invention.

Performing on Saturday 5 October at 12.30pm at Seasons in Leura