LAST Friday saw musicians from around the country gather for the annual Harrietville Music Camp to prepare two performances for this Friday and Saturday.

The eight-day program will feature a number of lessons and group rehearsals to cover a range of different music genres for over 70 attendees.

Students arrived throughout Friday and got settled in before a rehearsal that evening.

“We get people coming to participate in the camp from all over,” said musical director, Gerald Keuneman, OAM.

“People travel from Adelaide, Sydney, Hobart, etc. there’s even one from Darwin this year.

“The participants are not professional musicians, but they nurture music as a very important hobby in their lives and they're of a good standard.

“We also have a choral group with very fine choral conductor, so we cover the full gamut of music making here.

“I've been directing it from early 90s: I came here originally to be part of the string section, during a holiday break from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

“Playing music brings our students a lot of joy.

“Being in an orchestra is something a lot of people from smaller places don’t get the opportunity of doing in the course of their lives, so it's a very pleasing opportunity for them.

“A lot of participants come back annually and the camp turns into a great community: you meet people from around the country who you can keep in touch with.”

“We hope our attendees thoroughly enjoy the un-spoilt beauty that is Harrietville,” said camp organiser, Sally Dugan.

“With its mountainous backdrop, fresh air, warm days and cool, starlit nights; it is truly a perfect site for an orchestral music camp.

“The music camp was formerly run by the Council of Adult Education and now operates under the auspices of Melbourne’s Whitehorse Orchestra.

“It has been held in Harrietville for nearly half a century."

Participants of this year’s camp will put on a Big Band performance held at the Mountain View Retreat hall in Harrietville from 8pm, on Friday, January 17.

“The Big Band event is a free concert open to the public,” Mr Keuneman said.

“It’s a great night for those who enjoy big band music, rather than symphony music; that's a great concert to come to."

The camp’s showcase concert will be held at the Bright Community Centre at 2:30pm, on Saturday, January 18.

Entry to the showcase will be granted by a gold-coin donation, with all proceeds to be donated to the Bright community.

For more information about the annual Harrietville Music Camp, visit: www.whitehorseorchestra.org.au