Brass quintet Fish on Five comes to Nelson for the first performance of this year’s Selkirk Pro Musica series this Saturday, and it was local clarinetist Nicola Everton who helped make it happen.
“We’re all in the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra together, and when she got wind of our brass quintet she started the ball rolling to see if we’d be interested in coming to town,” said the quintet’s Wade Dorsey.
The other members of the band are Jim Howie, Dennis Colpitts, Edmund House and Reynold Epp. They’ve been performing together since 2009.
The five men jumped at the opportunity, which also involves performing a 45 minute show for St. Joseph Elementary this afternoon, something Dorsey is looking forward to.
“Three of the musicians in our group are educators, so we’ll be taking questions and talking about each individual instrument. It’s exciting to see the kids light up as they start to understand how music is made.”
He said all the members started playing music in Grade 7.
“It shows them that maybe one day they could play in a quintet like this.”
During the St. Saviour’s concert they will be showcasing their versatility.
“We’ll be doing an eclectic mix of music. There will be stuff from the Renaissance, there’s opera, ragtime, jazz. We even have a couple songs from the Beatles.”
He said people of all ages can enjoy the evening.
“No matter what style of music you’re interested in, you’ll walk away enjoying something.”
The band’s name came from a catchphrase—“Fish on!”—the men came up with during a fishing trip together.
The concert will be held at St. Saviour’s Pro Cathedral at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 3. Tickets are $15 and are available at Otter Books and the door.
For more information visit Selkirk Pro Musica on Facebook.