Program - Big Band Lunchtime

Conservatorium Big Band Directed by James Sandon The Con Big Band was established in 2001, making this ensemble the 21st edition. The band is chosen by audition from Jazz and Classical students. Repertoire is specifically selected from the classic big band era. This genre of music would be found in dance halls in the 1910s, becoming increasingly popular through the 1930s and 1940’s, fostering collective performance to produce a unified sound. The skills learned in big band performing are essential in forming the framework for young musicians through collaboration, listening and research.

James Sandon, originally from Perth, is one of the most natural and talented saxophonists in the country with the rare combination of instrumental technique and natural melodic and rhythmic drive. A thirty-two-year career in the industry has seen James performing in the U.S.A., Asia, and Australasia. Now based in Brisbane, Sandon is currently a lecturer in saxophone and jazz studies at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music at Griffith University.

Conservatorium Big Band 2021 Sax 1

James Prendergast

Trombone 1

Sax 2

Samantha Keogh

Trombone 2

Thomas Evans Grulke Tan Sanyodkam James Wilke

Sax 3

Ashley Hutton

Trombone 3

Ethan Bensted

Sax 4

Siobhan Turner

Trombone 4

Sophie Ainsworth Rosie Leeson

Trumpet 1

Piano

William Ellerton

Trumpet 2

Ben Oldham James Battersby George Perrers

Guitar

Marcus Church

Trumpet 3

Gabriel Garcia

Bass

Joshua Mellor

Trumpet 4

Atticus Shipstone

Drums

Jordan Cant

Vocalist

Lara McGahan