Community bands from Prince Albert and Tisdale are teaming up for their spring concerts.
Members from both bands will be playing together at two separate concerts – one on Sunday in Tisdale and the other the following Saturday, June 10, in Prince Albert.
“It’s kind of nice that we are filling out one another’s bands a little bit because post-COVID everyone’s having a little bit of trouble gaining some traction,” said Shannon Fehr, director of the Prince Albert Concert Band.
“For instance, we have no percussionists in the concert band right now and they have three, so that helps us to be able to play a little more interesting music because we actually have a percussion section then. We kind of do the same thing for them. We add a French horn and a bassoon.”
Aside from being able to play more complex music, Fehr said it’s also helpful to meet and play with new people in the music scene.
“What we really benefit from is the community of making music together.”
Fehr said the band is happy to be back on stage again after the peak of the pandemic.
They’ve put on several “mini concerts,” she explained, like at a Christmas market and a concert to support Ukraine during the war. However, this will be one of their first regular concerts in the last few years.
Fehr said she hopes people who come watch not only enjoy the variety of music, but see the long-term benefits of playing an instrument.
“Music is a wonderful past time no matter how old you are,” she said.
“When you learn it as a youngster, you learn it for life. There’s always opportunities to go back to it. Music creates wonderful friendships and wonderful communities.”
The Tisdale concert take place at the RECplex theatre at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
The following weekend, the Prince Albert concert starts at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 10, at the St. Mary High School auditorium.
Fehr said anyone interested in joining the Prince Albert Concert Band can message their Facebook page for more information.
