Joint fundraiser Beers, Brass & Bowls booked for November at Durie Hill

Brass Whanganui will be bringing a 15-piece oompah band to the Durie Hill Bowling Club. Photo / Michael Davis

Joint fundraiser Beers, Brass & Bowls is back for its fourth instalment, with a day of festivities planned for November at the Durie Hill Bowling Club.

Brass Whanganui's Hamish Jellyman said the event usually sold out every year, and in 2020 around $4000 was raised, with half going to Brass Whanganui and half going to the bowling club itself.

The event features an oompah band, local skiffle outfit Hot Potato, a catered meal, a bowls tournament, and, plenty of beer - courtesy of local brewers LADS.

"There are about 15 of us in the oompah band, with Gary Vinnell handling frontman duties," Jellyman said.

"We'll be tackling a lot of traditional stuff like 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary', but every year we add a few more songs to the mix."

Guests could expect some real Kiwi classics.

"Last year it was 'Bliss' (Th' Dudes), and we'll be throwing in 'April Sun in Cuba' (Dragon) and some Crowded House this time around.

"You want to keep things modern for the punters."

Oompah bands generally perform Volkstümliche Musik (traditional music) at German-themed events such as Oktoberfest.

The 'oompah' comes from the sound of the bass line, which is played on the double bass or tuba.

In terms of the money raised this time around, Jellyman said some of it would go towards growing Brass Whanganui's youth development programme.

"We've got two junior bands now - the junior brass band and the beginner band.

"Bruce (Jellyman) and Tracey (Wilson) have been recruiting lots of new kids, and it's going really well."

The bowling club's share would be using it to take care of day to day costs, along with promoting the sport and the club.

Another project Brass Whanganui needed to tackle, and something that would take a lot more money than it could raise at Beers, Brass & Bowls, was rebuilding one of the walls of the band's practice room at Queens Park Pukenamu, Jellyman said.

"Initially we thought it wouldn't take much, but it's looking like it it'll be a pretty big job, and one that will cost many thousands of dollars.

"We are hoping to do another event later in the year or early next year."

This would likely be a gala recital, Jellyman said, a fancy fundraising concert.

"Stay tuned for that."

Beers, Brass & Bowls will be held on Saturday, November 13 at the Durie Hill Bowling Club.

The event is R18.