The band program at Manly Campus is second to none.
Over the years the Northern Beaches Secondary College, Manly Campus band program, under the leadership of its outstanding directors and supported by an enthusiastic and dedicated group of parent volunteers, has established a reputation as one of the very best in NSW.
The highly skilled specialist conductors and instrumental teachers deliver an enrichment program that meets the needs of a gifted and talented cohort and delivers weekly rehearsals and a wide range of performance opportunities to around 25% of the school’s students.
A 2021 survey amongst band families highlighted the value of our band program in providing an enormous range of benefits including academic, creative, mental health, personal management skills (time, possessions and commitments), giving back to the community, cross year connections and more.
The Manly Campus band program offers development opportunities for students from junior to senior years and is organised into three main streams: wind stream, jazz stream and string stream.
- The wind stream has three bands: Concert Band, Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Wind Orchestra.
- The jazz stream has a Swing Band, Stage Band, Big Band and Jazz Orchestra in addition to two small combo groups which focus on developing improvisation skills.
- The string stream comprises a String Ensemble and a Chamber Orchestra of string, wind and brass instruments.
- A Percussion Group and small group Covers Band, playing pop and rock, complete the line-up of bands on offer at our school.
Our bands represent the school with distinction at school and public performances as well as in the competitions that they regularly enter.
An important feature of our program is that that the bands tour annually within NSW and, every three years, on a major international tour. Our most recent international tour in 2019 saw students perform in Germany, The Czech Republic and Poland which included a performance at the official Anzac morning Ceremony in Berlin for the Ambassador to Australia. When touring within NSW, our bands specialise in performing at small, rural schools and encourage the participation of each school's students to join our ensembles in workshop and performances.
As well as the above, a cross-campus jazz improvisation group is open to students from any of the five campuses from the Northern Beaches Secondary College.
For all enquiries regarding the band programs, please contact the band manager at bandmanagerbomc@gmail.com
Further details of the band program and how to enrol can be found in the Bands of Manly Campus 2023 handbook (PDF 312KB).