The Goulburn Valley Concert Orchestra along with the Shepparton Brass and Wind Band and 36 Degrees South are looking for a new home. Photo: Nicole Peters.
Three local bands have come together searching for a more appropriate space for rehearsals and small concerts.
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The Shepparton Brass and Wind Band, GV Concert Orchestra and local choir 36 Degrees South make up the band alliance, also known as Chapel on Maude.
The three groups have gone through several spaces over the years, including the former Shepparton High School campus and the Uniting Church on Maude St.
“The high school, it was brilliant, we had a lovely room there,” Shepparton Brass and Wind Band president Bill Scott said.
“And then all they did was put bulldozers through it.”
The Uniting Church was put up for sale and is still available for purchase with an asking price of $1.39 million for both buildings or $595,000 for the building on the left and $795,000 for the building on the right.
They have most recently moved into St Augustine’s Anglican Church on Maude St, Shepparton.
“St Aug’s has been very good to us, but we have to get out every November for VCE exams,” Mr Scott said.
“They’ve been very good, and they found us some storage space and everything, and we paid rent for it all.”
Despite getting good use out of the space, the three bands need storage, with percussion instruments being housed “in a toilet”.
St Augustine’s Anglican Church is currently home to the Shepparton Brass and Wind Band, GV Concert Orchestra and 36 Degrees South.
Photo by
Caleb Francis
The three have cast their eyes elsewhere, looking for a place that may have bigger space and storage that they could call home.
Mr Scott plans for more than just three groups using the space, hoping to create a training band to foster performing arts in young people in the area.
The three also have guest bands come to their rehearsal space to learn from each other, something the band alliance would like to expand if it got its own space.
“The idea was to sort of form it into an academy,” Mr Scott said.
“Where we can get to teach not only kids, but adults and providing an outlet for all sorts of people to play music.
“I’m a bit of an ambassador for music, it’s been my whole life and I can’t imagine life without it.”
To get the ball rolling, Mr Scott and the rest of the band alliance sent a letter to the mayor.
“We are restricted in how much we can do by spaces and time and feel that so much more can be done if we had a dedicated building which would have an adequate larger space for rehearsals and smaller rooms for individual teaching and rehearsal,” the proposal sent to council in mid-December 2024 said.
“Is there a building in Greater Shepparton that could be adapted for this use or, alternatively, could council allocate land and help to build a facility?”
The News reached out to council to see what the process was for proposals like what the band had sent, as well as what could be done to support the band.
“Greater Shepparton City Council has a number of venues and spaces for hire at different rates depending on the facility and the services required,” a council spokesperson said.
“At this stage, Greater Shepparton City Council is working with the alliance to explore their needs and possible options for them to pursue.”
However, hiring a space from council would come at a cost to the bands, and council provided alternative options to the alliance.
“There are a few options around the municipality, like approaching Scout halls and other community or sporting facilities that may have spaces or times available for other community uses, that they can consider,” the spokesperson said.
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