The Melbourne Rainbow Band, Australia’s premier GLBT concert band, is putting the final touches on its upcoming production Syncopated, to be performed at Chapel Off Chapel on Sunday 13th May 2012.

The MRB is looking for organisations to support our production and promote their businesses to the members of the audience and friends and supporters of the MRB through the bands website and mailing list. A free high quality free programme will be produced for all patrons. The programme is multi-page, colour and black and white and will be professionally designed and printed.

Consider the benefits:
• Exposure to a captivated audience.
• The opportunity to have your promotional material displayed prominently at the venue.
• Community development & goodwill.
• Sponsorship and support of the arts.

In supporting this production, you are supporting a not for profit community artistic group.

If you are interested in participating in this event please contact Ben Boreham (President) or Rachael Bean (Administrator) to further discuss and finalise details:

Ben Boreham (President) – ben@mrb.org.au
Rachael Bean (Administrator) – info@mrb.org.au

Join the Melbourne Rainbow Band for a celebration of the 20th century’s most diverse and long lived musical style.  Jazz.  In a one night only performance, SYNCOPATED will transport you from Chapel Off Chapel to the jazz clubs of the prohibition era and the streets of New Orleans.

Sunday 13th May 2012 @ 7.00 PM
Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
$25 Adult, $20 Concession
www.chapeloffchapel.com.au | t: 03 8290 7000

Click here to purchase tickets

This performance is presented with the assistance of the City of Stonnington’s Arts and Cultural Sponsorship Program.  The Melbourne Rainbow Band would like to thank the City of Stonnington for their ongoing support of the band.

The Melbourne Rainbow Band has a long history of being led by highly skilled Musical Directors who have also lent their talents to teaching and encouraging an Assistant Musical Director. The 2012 MRB Assistant Musical Director will play an integral part in weekly rehearsals, and over the Midsumma period when the Melbourne Rainbow Band often have performances scheduled every weekend.

All applications will be taken into consideration by Committee and the Musical Director.

For more information email ben@mrb.org.au or by telephone on 0412 509 828

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The Melbourne Rainbow Band is throwing open the door to the rehearsal room and welcoming new members.

To be held the Will Sampson Community Centre in Windsor at 7:30pm on 23 February, this is a fantastic opportunity for interested musicians to come along and meet the band. Bring your instrument and sit in on rehearsal.

So if you play a brass, woodwind or percussion instrument, get that instrument out of the closet, blow off the cobwebs and come along to see for yourself how much fun playing music together can be.

For more details please email info@mrb.org.au

7:30pm – Thursday 23 February 2012
Will Sampson Community Centre
Henry Street, Windsor (Melways Ref 2P G2)
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It’s more than tradition.

For the 17th consecutive year, the MRB joined with Melbourne’s GLBTI and allied communities to recognises and celebrate the people and events that inspire the courage, solidarity, pride, diversity and strong sense of community of Victoria’s vibrant GLBTI people.

The march down Fitzroy Street seemed to be perfectly timed. Shortly before the band stepped off from the marshalling area the winds that had almost swept us off our feet earlier during our rehearsal died down, giving us ideal conditions for marching.

A huge crowd had lined Fizroy Street and cheered us on as we played the very aptly chosen Born This Way (the Lady Gaga favourite) as well as Firework (Lily Allen).

Having made it down to the end of the march at Catani Gardens, the band members then made their way back to their cars just in time for the clouds to open. Phew!

Thanks go to our friends and supporters for showing their support and entheusiasm, but most of all we thank those true band groupies who marched with us as our colour guard.

The MRB along with family and friends enjoyed a wonderful, sunny day of music, leisurely walks through the amazing gardens at Forest Glade, and picnic baskets the size of steamer trunks.

The Joy Picnic is a fundraising event for JOY 94.9 which is held each year on Australia Day at the gardens of our longtime supporters Cyril and Trevor. Forest Glade is one of Australia’s finest private gardens, covering fourteen acres – parts of which are around 100 years old.

The MRB performed music from its summer repertoir, alongside the Melbourne Gay & Lesbian Chorus. Local GLBTI car club, Motozfrenz also displayed some of their members classic cars.

Each year, the Melbourne Rainbow Band and Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus join forces to bring you Carols By Queerlight.

In 2011, popular Melbourne entertainment personality Luke Gallagher and MQFF General Manager Danae Gibson returned to add a special sparkle as MCs. The concert was also broadcast live on JOY 94.9. This was the 11th year that MRB and MGLC have presented Carols by Queerlight in partnership with the Prahran Market Management.

The Melbourne Rainbow Band and, in his first performance as Musical Director, David Wisken paid homage to the many talented writers of the broadway era.

With an amazing vocal performance by the very talented Rosa McCarty, the Melbourne Rainbow Band performed a range of samples from Broadway. As host, the hilarious Anna Burgess shared musical trivia (and her own vocal rendition of the opening to the Lion King) which enjoyed by musical theatre aficionado’s as well as those who don’t know their Mel Brooks from their Andrew Lloyd Webbers!

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Members of the MRB and their family and friends kicked up their heels recently at the Melbourne Rainbow Band Bush Dance.

Bringing a little bit of country to the big smoke, professional dance caller, Ian Bunston was our guide for a number of sets of very energetic Australian colonial and traditional dances (and the Chicken Dance, for some reason).

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