About Us

Southern Brass is a traditional Brass Band with a rich history of musical performance in and around Sutherland Shire. The band has won many championships and competitions over many years and has recently launched a Youth Band (Southern Youth Concert Band).

Southern Brass

Southern Brass (Sutherland Shire Brass) is a not-for-profit community organisation. The band has its origins in the late 1940’s as the St George District Band and for many years occupied a hall at Hurstville which was demolished during construction of Westfield Shopping Centre. At the Annual General Meeting held on 20th February 1953 at Electricity House, Hurstville the band became known as St George Sutherland Shire Band. In 1961 Sutherland Shire Council granted land for a hall to be erected in Eton Street and the band continued to be known as St George Sutherland Shire Band until July 1973 when the name was changed to Sutherland Shire Silver Band. With incorporation in 2001, the name was changed to Sutherland Shire Brass Inc. Our Public band name was revamped to Southern Brass a few years ago.

2018 NSW State Band Champions C Grade
2019 East Coast Champions Section 2
2019 NSW State Band Champions C Grade
2019 Promoted to B Grade

Take a look at our plan for the future here.

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Heather Davies - Musical Director

Southern Brass is pleased and excited to announce the arrival of Heather Davies, who has taken the Musical Direction reigns in January.

Heather graduated from the Australian National University with Bachelor of Fine Arts and started working as a music and art therapist. Heather comes from a creative and musical family, and she studied the flute from the age of 5. Heather developed a passion for performing and singing at an early age, and this passion has never left her. Heather holds postgraduate qualifications from the Australian Institute of Music and holds a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Heather spent many years working as a vocalist as well as teaching vocals, song writing, stage craft, flute and guitar, teaching both privately and in schools.

SYCB

Southern Youth Concert Band

SYCB was formed to further develop music within our community and to give your children a musical experience outside of the school environment.

SYCB falls under the Sutherland Brass Band umbrella, current the senior ensemble is Southern Brass.

The band rehearses every Monday night from 6.30-7.30pm during school term times.

Currently we encourage players who are in Year 5 or above and who have been playing for a year or more to attend. To fall under the NSW Band Association rules, the maximum age is 19 years.

Find out membership information here.

Joan Thorp ATCL - Associate Conductor

Joan Thorp is a local musician, teacher, conductor, arranger and adjudicator with 25 years professional experience.

To her performing credits she has an ATCL French Horn Diploma plus State and National Championship titles from the National Band Association.

Joan is an accredited member of the Australian Music Teachers’ Association, the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association and the Music Arrangers’ Guild of Australia. She has an AMusA Theory of Music Diploma plus an LMusA Diploma in Arranging and Orchestration.

Joan enjoys regular praise for her creative and inspiring music for school bands. As the Managing Director of the Australian music publishing company, Thorp Music, she is especially proud of their high quality publications – utilising progressive musical concepts without compromising on entertainment value.

Joan enjoys playing with Southern Brass and is pleased to assist Andy with conducting when required.

Joel Nicolai BMusEd - SYCB Conductor

Joel started learning the trumpet in his primary school band at age 8 and immediately took a liking to the instrument. At age 10 he was looking for something a bit more challenging and a friend's mother referred him to the Sutherland Shire Brass Band. He was given a cornet and began in the junior band there.

After graduating high school, he was accepted into the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Music Education.

Since then he has taught music and conducted bands at schools throughout the Sutherland Shire and surrounding areas.