At its modest level, the "Harmonie des Deux Rives",Paris, France, the "Two-Banks Concert Band", (the left bank and the right bank of the river La Seine in Paris, France), carries out a project which is both social and musical: to offer music...
The audience.The Two-Banks Concert Band perpetuates the tradition of free concerts, for all kinds of listeners : the Paris audience in gardens and parks of Paris of course, but also in old people's homes or prisons. Our symphonic band gives about ten concerts a year, including four or five under bandstands in Paris but also in various places such at Sainte-Périne old people's home (16th arrondissement), the disused movie theater Ritz at Pigalle, Montretout market in Saint-Cloud, for previews at art galleries, at the women's prison at Fleury-Mérogis, on the Marathon of Paris and Paris-Versailles race. Moreover we initiate a couple of musical animations in primary schools on Saturday mornings. And whenever possible we have musical exchanges with other orchestras in Paris, outside Paris or abroad, which enables us to organize short, but pleasant trips in France and Belgium.
The Two-Banks Concert Band offers an original repertoire requiring quality, creativity and variety. Quality and creativity, because it is our vocation to introduce different repertoires for a contemporary symphonic band with music different from the traditional pom-pom and marches for ceremonies and parades. Variety, because to meet a wide audience the band will play any type of music; three main genres include:
- Famous composers from our century (Serge Prokofiev, Francis Poulenc, Darius Milhaud, Germaine Tailleferre, Kurt Weill...)
- Film music (Maurice Jaubert Georges Auric, Nino Rota, John Williams...)
- Light music for bandstand (polkas, light opera, jazz: Dave Brubeck, Lalo Schiffrin...)
And of course:
- Original works for band by today's composers (Serge Lancen, Désiré Dondeyne...)
- Transcriptions from classical works (Delalande, Boïeldieu,Verdi...)
In order to offer this repertoire to the audience, the wind band has fifty regular musicians. All of them are amateurs and voluntary. The Two-Banks Concert Band is quite appreciated by the former pupils from the music schools in Paris who will not become professional when they are adults. The band will be happy to recruit musicians with the following instruments :
- Flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons
- Alto, tenor, baritone saxophones
- Trumpets, cornets, French horns, trombones
- Baritone saxhorns, euphonium, basses, tubas
- Timpani, drums, mallets, percussion
- String bass
Oficial Website:
(Joel Izaguirre - Conductor)