27 July 2013

These words rang out through the Springvale Town Hall Saturday night loud and true during the City of Greater Dandenong Band’s annual cabaret – The Sound of Musicals - and “oh what a night” indeed.

In front a of a near capacity hall (almost 300 people) the band delivered hit after hit of music we have come to know and love from both stage and screen musicals over the years.  

Ably assisted by a team of some of Melbourne’s best up and coming vocalists, some of whom have previously performed with the band, the audience was treated to an evening of musical excellence and were singing along with toe tapping numbers all night.

As well as the classics, Phantom, Cats, and the Sound of Music and many others, the band also proved its versatility by singing not once but twice – belting out a stunning Seasons of Love (Rent) and Do You Hear the People Sing (Les Miserables).

The audience was left in no doubt that the City of Greater Dandenong Band can perform and can do so with consummate ease.

Musical Director Michael Mathers was delighted with the night and thrilled with the sense of fun experienced by all. “It’s taken a couple of years but I know the playing group now have a genuine belief in their ability to entertain an appreciative and discerning audience. With a good healthy spread of our peers in the audience the pressure was on. All of that was put behind the desire to have fun and to just do what we do, play great music. This was clearly carried into the crowd and I rate it as one the most fun nights I’ve ever had in 30 plus years of music making.”

This was also evident in the immediate feedback from the crowd including brass band veterans who say it was easily the best cabaret they have ever seen. The band’s website, email and Facebook pages were all targeted with words of praise - some about the fantastic costumes in the second half which have become a regular part of the evening now - and many phone calls of thanks and congratulations were received in the immediate aftermath.

“The organising committee for the concert worked extremely hard this year and, together with the singers and of course the players, I want to thank them for a great effort.” Mathers’ said. “The audience too were terrific and really got into the night and the spirit of it all. It was just great fun, all night long.”

Plans are already underway for the 2014 cabaret so join the band’s mailing list to make sure you don’t miss out, and so that you too will go home saying … “oh what a night”!!