With members as young as 12, the Kingsland Brass ensemble fills a chilly Canberra night with stunning, stirring sounds as they rehearse in a room at the ANU School of Music.
The ensemble is a program offered by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra for musicians aged from 12 to 19 who get to rehearse and perform alongside members of the CSO, in this case Greg Stenning on trumpet and Bjorn Pfeiffer on tuba.
The group has only been together since February and already wowed the professional musicians of the CSO.
"It was basically a pilot program at the start and we didn't know what numbers we would get and we've ended up with a fantastic bunch of kids," Mr Pfeiffer said. "You can see them grow week to week, which I think is the most satisfying thing."
Mr Stenning agreed. "We had a session last Thursday, before the CSO's concert, and the orchestra was warming up in the next room and they were all wondering, 'Who are those guys?' because they sounded so good," he said.
CONCERT ON TUESDAY
All three of the CSO's Kingsland youth ensembles - the Kingsland Brass, Kingsland Strings and Canberra Symphony Youth Chamber Orchestra - will perform at a concert on Tuesday at 7pm at the Ainslie All Saints Church.
"The quality of music is going to be first-rate," Mr Stenning said.
The programs are named Kingsland in honour of the late Sir Richard and Lady Kingsland and their family who donated money to develop the talents of young musicians in Canberra. The programs continue to be funded by "a generous philanthropic community".
A FAMILY AFFAIR
And it's a bit of a family affair - the Kingsland Brass has two sets of siblings in the ensemble. Elsa Guile, 17, plays trumpet, while her brother Ollie, 12, plays tuba. Harry Moyle, 15, is on the trombone while sister Lucy, 12, is on the French horn.
They all enjoy making music together. "It's great to have my little brother in it," Elsa said.
Lucy Moyle looks up to her big brother Harry. "I started playing because he started playing and when I was younger, I looked up to my brother," she said.
It's the first time they've performed in the same band. "We're in different sections so we don't really interact that much," Harry said.
'WE LEARN QUITE A LOT'
Another member of the Kingsland Brass, Lachlan Hindy, said they all appreciated the expertise and advice of the CSO musicians who are part of the unconducted ensemble.
"We really get to learn quite a lot," he said.
"We sit in with some rehearsals with the orchestra as well which is really good. It's really good to get their professional advice."
Elsa Guile, who has been playing trumpet for 11 years, said there was always more to learn.
"It's a great collaborative experience working with so many other musicians, of all different ages and levels," she said.
TICKETS TO THE SHOW
The Kingsland Youth Ensembles perform on Tuesday at 7pm at the All Saints Ainslie Church in Cowper Street.
Tickets are $20 or $15 for pensioners and students at the door or via this link.
