The performance of "Partýbær" by Ham brought the house down
More than 200 children from nine school bands and music schools gathered for the national school band competition this past weekend. The Vesturbær and Miðbær school band, directed by Ingi Garðar Erlendsson, hosted the competition at Melaskóli, Hagaskóli and Háskólabíó.
Great energy and powerful performance
The energy was incredible at the competition's closing concert at Háskólabíó on Sunday, and the performance nearly brought the house down when the final song, Partýbær by Ham, was powerfully performed by the 200-member brass band.
The Association of Icelandic School Brass Bands (SÍSL) has held national competitions for the country's school bands since 1969. The bands are divided by age into A, B and C groups, with each group eligible to attend the national competition every other year. This time, students from B groups—children in 6th and 7th grade from nine school bands from across the country—came to Vesturbær.
The benefits of playing in large bands
"It's very beneficial both socially and musically to participate in competitions like this. New friendships form with students from other bands. It's so fun and rewarding for everyone to practice and play in such large bands. This is an invaluable experience for students, building confidence and stage presence they can use throughout their lives," says Linda Margrét Sigfúsdóttir, project manager for SÍSL's national competitions.
