THE Derwent Valley Concert Band has won first place and its director Layton Hodgetts received a gold medal at the European Band Championships in Germany (not the world championships as originally reported). ABC Radio has the full report and an audio link.
The band was established in 1993, to provide a forum for young people to continue their musical careers after graduating from New Norfolk High School. The band’s first overseas trip was to Japan in 1994. Participation in the Calgary Stampede in Canada was a great honour in 1997, followed by China in 1999, Europe in 2001 and a return to China in 2006.
For many, the highlight of the band’s history was the honour of being invited to perform at the wedding of Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark and Tasmanian-born Mary Donaldson in 2004.
This latest achievement proves yet again that the Derwent Valley Concert Band is something for all Tasmanians to be proud of.
