Brass band legend’s comeback cameo

They were followed by rows and rows of the finest virtuo-

Sos, the cream of ev'ry famous band.

No reaching for Google, everyone knows the tune.

But where does it come from?

The Music Man, it was written for the Music Man. Way back in 1957.

And it’s all about brass bands on a mass scale.

Sort of like Echuca this weekend, when brass bands from across the state will descend on Hopwood Gardens to help celebrate Echuca Federal Band’s 170 th anniversary.

With Doug Morison, the town’s own music man, dusting off the cobwebs of a decade’s retirement to take up the baton just one more time for the big day.

It’s an honorary role, for which Doug says he is most grateful and humbled – and then admits also relieved.

“We will have four bands coming together as the finale for the weekend’s celebrations – talk about being in the spotlight,” Doug laughed.

“But I’m pretty confident the musicians will know exactly what they are doing by the time I stand up and call for their attention,” he said.

“At which point I will just be waving my arms around and hoping they are paying more attention to their music than the conductor because I’m not too sure I’ll know what I am doing.”

Doug, mind you, is selling himself a little short.

He didn’t just play and conduct at Echuca for around 27 years, he was pivotal in its future, just as he played cornerstone roles in so many other bands.

A story which began when he became as foundation member of the Croydon Brass Band in 1962 – at the tender age of 13 and played there until moving to Wonthaggi in his early 20s, where he played and/or conducted for another 15 or 16 years.

His job as a music teacher then took him to Mildura and its brass band, followed by a relocation to Tongala, where he initially hooked up with the band in Shepparton.

From whence he was headhunted by the Echuca Federal Band, which had been looking for a conductor.

“Initially I kept playing at Shepparton and conducting at Echuca, before finally making the move fulltime,” Doug explained.

And here was the genius of the Echuca talent scouts.

As a music teacher and the band’s conductor he had direct access to all the talented youngsters passing through his classes and whenever he identified a likely candidate, steered them towards the band.

And boy, did he recruit some doozies.

Rochester’s Aidan Purdy is today an accomplished Australian freelance tuba, trombone, and electric bass player, recognised as a virtuoso performer within the Australian brass band community.

He has won around 50 Victorian state titles across multiple instruments and secured five national titles on the tuba, including a historic, and unmatched, clean sweep at the national band championships.

He performs as a tuba player with the Metropolitan Orchestra and has toured extensively across Australia, North America, New Zealand, and Europe.

Danny van Bergen, who will be conducting alongside his mentor at the weekend, is now musical director of Boroondara Brass Inc and conductor of Boroondara Brass and started his musical career here studying classical organ and then began learning the cornet in the Echuca Federal Band.

He began conducting at an early age, with school concert and jazz bands.

Currently, Danny is leader of performing arts at Wantirna College.

“These students kept the band going, and we had some really good kids,” Doug said.

“So yes, it will be good to come back and be part of the band again, to catch up with people I have known for so long,” he said.

And if you think brass bands are all about polishing instruments and a lot of hot air, they can deliver a lot more than that.

The Croydon band is also where Doug would meet Alison, his wife, and his daughter Melina Benger was appointed its musical director in 2002.

Doug has even made occasional guest appearances there since retiring.

So, after devoting 60 years of his life to brass bands, they still haven’t lost their shine for Echuca’s music man.

The Echuca Federal Band’s Extravaganza starts in Hopwood Gardens at 11am on Sunday, November 15, and runs for two hours.