The Brass Band celebrates 75 years at Harpa tonight.
The Hafnarfjörður Wind Orchestra is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a major concert in the Northern Lights Hall at Harpa tonight at 8 p.m. „The atmosphere is excellent and we're full of anticipation,“ says Rúnar Óskarsson, the conductor. The core of the band is strong and it is on the offensive.
The Band on the March – Celebrating 75 Years
„The atmosphere is excellent and we're very much looking forward to it,“ says Rúnar Óskarsson, conductor of the Hafnarfjörður Brass Band. The band is celebrating its 75th anniversary today and is holding a birthday concert in Norðurljós, Harpa, this evening, 9th April at 20:00. Sales have been good and there are still a few places available should anyone wish to join.
Celebrate the milestone
„We've been rehearsing tonight's programme since January. The preparations have been going on for considerably longer. It takes time to organise such a major event,“ says Rúnar about the anniversary concerts. „We're playing pieces from the early years. Pictures from our work will be projected onto a screen. Yes, these are truly birthday concerts.“
When asked, Rúnar says the youngest in the band is in their twenties and the oldest is in their seventies. „We have people of all ages here, engineers, music teachers, everything in between, but everyone has grown up in a brass band,“ says Rúnar. „The longest-serving member of the band is Þorleikur Jóhannesson, who has been in it for half a century. He started very young.“ Rúnar says the band has a strong core. The band is making progress.
The year 1950 was generous
The brass band is now 75 years old, just like the Hafnarfjörður Music School, which celebrated at the weekend. Rúnar points out that the Symphony Orchestra is also celebrating 75 years, as is the National Theatre. „There has been a real buzz among people this year; the year 1950.“
The programme consists largely of works that have recently been composed or arranged for brass bands, including pieces by Philip Sparke, John Williams and Johan de Meij. Several works that the band has performed over the years will also be played, such as 'Blásið hornin' by Árni Björnsson and Pál Pampichler Pálsson's concert polka for two clarinets and band, in which Ásdís Birta Guðnadóttir and Kristín Jóna Bragadóttir will play the solo parts.
- Tickets for the concert cost 2000 krónur for under-16s and 3000 krónur for adults. Tickets are on sale at Tickets.is.
We wish the Hafnarfjörður Brass Band a very happy birthday.