Dean Jeffries Award 2023
Awarded to Christopher Balnaves
This special award is presented to a band member who has made a considerable contribution to Payneham City Concert Band, through their commitment and participation in the band and its activities, both as a player and in various other roles which contribute to the smooth running of the band.This year one person in particular has demonstrated all of these qualities – they are a valued member, a good reliable and consistent player, a well organized Committee member and also perform other important roles.
It is a pleasure to confirm Christopher Balnaves as the recipient of this award in recognition of his commitment to Payneham Concert Band, through offering to take on the Secretary’s role, whilst already holding the position of Librarian, which he had also volunteered to do. In addition, Christopher has been a hard working organizer, coordinating the movement of equipment to and from the hall for our various concerts.
Christopher is a most pleasant and helpful member of the band and committee, so we hope he will remain with Payneham City Concert Band for many years to come.
Dean Jeffries Award 2021
Awarded to Jill Milner
to be updatedDean Jeffries Award 2020
Awarded to Angela Vawser
Angela joined the band in January 2016 and has been a regular attender at rehearsals and performances since this time.
Angela plays beautifully both as part of the section and also when highlighted with a solo and she has been willing to learn all section parts and fill in where needed.
Quietly sitting in the background Angela is always ready with a word of support or general uplifting comment and always has a positive outlook which helps keep those around them motivated. In addition, she always ensures the other members of their section have everything they need in order to play including “fixing” music on the computer to make it easier to read.
Angela is always one of the first on the scene to help set up and one of the last to leave at the end of rehearsals and performances ensuring that there are no jobs left undone before heading off. She also often heads back to the band halls to help ensure the trailer makes it back into the shed and that any equipment that needs unpacking occurs.
Finally the verbal and emailed offers of assistance and general support to the committee when things have been a bit more hectic have been greatly appreciated.
Thankyou Angela Vawser
Life Member
Awarded to Helen Blakebrough
With 25 years of continuous membership, Helen is one of the longest serving members of the band.In that time, as well as being a stalwart, very reliable and musically versatile member of the
trombone section she has been an elected member of the committee. In this role she always
contributed wise advice and was ever helpful in performing various tasks delegated to her.
Helen has acted as Assistant Conductor or Deputy Musical Director of the band under a number of
Musical Directors including founder Dean Jeffries.
She has held the Acting Musical Director position for varying periods between Musical Directors. She
has often taken over at very short notice and always ensured the band fulfilled its musical obligations
very successfully.
In 2016, Helen prepared the band’s participation in the National Band Championships held in South
Australia that year, and conducted our performance. We are not a regularly competing band and yet
she carried the band with her in this challenging and unfamiliar environment and we performed –
according to adjudicators and audience alike – to a very high standard.
That same year, Helen led the band at its 50th anniversary concert. She selected and led a very varied
and challenging program helping to make this very significant event an outstanding success
musically, socially and financially.
Helen is well known and very active in Adelaide’s musical life. This has helped her bring in guest
players, vocalists and supporting artists – always essential to making the band’s concerts and
performances popular and successful.
In short, Helen has contributed enormously and variously to the band over the two and a half
decades she has been a member and continues to do so.
Helen was presented with the award of Life Member of Payneham City Concert Band in recognition of
her contributions to the band throughout her membership.
Life Member
Awarded to
Sean joined the band in late 1986 when it was the St Peter’s Concert Band, filling the recentlyvacated first trombone position. Since then, Sean has been entrusted to shift between first, second
and third trombone, as well as euphonium, as needed for performances.
He coordinated the cabaret seating for Musical Director Dean Jeffries during the late 1980s. At the
time, the band was attracting 100-150 people to its cabarets and seating required careful planning.
He also acted as concert manager for several years while Rick Plummer was Musical Director,
coordinating set up for concerts.
Sean has spent a number of years on the committee as a general member, as well as a year as Vice
President and a year as Treasurer. During his time on the committee, he assisted in the development
of the Music Program Working Party (MPWP), a subcommittee designed to support the Musical
Director with setting concert programs. Sean continues to be a member of the Music Program Working Party.
In addition, Sean was part of the subcommittee who coordinated the inaugural quiz night as well as
the event for the following two years.
He is often heard compering the band’s events, a role he has taken on, as required, since Brenton
Parry led the band. When not compering he may also be found leading the band during marching
events, acting as the band’s Drum Major, coordinating its participation.
Sean is a loyal member of the band, introducing several other members as well as several skilled
players who are on call should we need to fill any gaps for performances.
Sean was presented with the award of Life Member of Payneham City Concert Band in recognition of
his contributions to the band over his 30+ years of active membership.
Dean Jeffries Award 2017
Awarded to Kiara Macartney-Clark
Kiara has been a member of Payneham City Concert Band for almost twenty years, joining us as a teenager and staying with us as she took on the usual roles of adulthood: marriage, parenthood and moving. She comes a long way - from around McLaren Vale each week – to rehearsals and for gigs. She very rarely misses a rehearsal and the only time she has missed a gig that I recall, was when she and Amanda were guests at the wedding of another member on the day of one of our community concerts last year. A reasonable excuse I’d say.
Kiara now plays first flute and our Musical Director is very appreciative of and complimentary on her playing skills. She plays some of the solo lines and has been part of a flute quartet as well as a recorder quartet which have played from time to time at some of our concerts. We have a very strong flute section now, with five very good players. She plays a leading role in making sure they work together as an excellent balanced section.
Kiara has been Secretary of the band for a number of years. This is a very demanding role, which I know from personal experience takes up a lot of time and requires a lot of behind the scenes activities - minute taking and producing, correspondence with all and sundry, keeping records of members up to date, liaising with other bands. Kiara does all this with exemplary speed, efficiency and cheerfulness. I know I have relied on her a good deal in 2016-17 when I took on the Presidency again after a gap of quite a few years. She produces excellent minutes of our meetings in record speed and keeps track of all the jobs to be done and the outcomes of motions. She is one of the band’s two delegates to the South Australian Band Association and records proceedings at these meetings and circulates the information to the rest of us. Of course much of this is what any Secretary should do, but she clearly puts in time and effort well above that which can be expected of any Secretary. Long may she reign in the job.
Finally Kiara plays her part in the routine of the band, providing regularly some of the cakes and goodies for our mid-rehearsal refreshments – an important contribution to band life.
Kiara now plays first flute and our Musical Director is very appreciative of and complimentary on her playing skills. She plays some of the solo lines and has been part of a flute quartet as well as a recorder quartet which have played from time to time at some of our concerts. We have a very strong flute section now, with five very good players. She plays a leading role in making sure they work together as an excellent balanced section.
Kiara has been Secretary of the band for a number of years. This is a very demanding role, which I know from personal experience takes up a lot of time and requires a lot of behind the scenes activities - minute taking and producing, correspondence with all and sundry, keeping records of members up to date, liaising with other bands. Kiara does all this with exemplary speed, efficiency and cheerfulness. I know I have relied on her a good deal in 2016-17 when I took on the Presidency again after a gap of quite a few years. She produces excellent minutes of our meetings in record speed and keeps track of all the jobs to be done and the outcomes of motions. She is one of the band’s two delegates to the South Australian Band Association and records proceedings at these meetings and circulates the information to the rest of us. Of course much of this is what any Secretary should do, but she clearly puts in time and effort well above that which can be expected of any Secretary. Long may she reign in the job.
Finally Kiara plays her part in the routine of the band, providing regularly some of the cakes and goodies for our mid-rehearsal refreshments – an important contribution to band life.
Dean Jeffries Award 2016
Awarded to Marcus Hicks
This member has shown a true commitment to the band with unfailing enthusiasm.
His enthusiasm spreads to the rest of the band and you can't fail to be happy to be at a practice when you sit or stand anywhere near him.
He is always focused on practising his music and provides the band with many lovely suggestions for pieces to play as well as finding examples to listen to of the pieces we are currently playing.
He provides the rest of the band with his lovely baking which is a highlight of each practice.
Finally he does not drive and therefore it can be a big effort to get to band practice or to performances but he almost never lets the band down.
His enthusiasm spreads to the rest of the band and you can't fail to be happy to be at a practice when you sit or stand anywhere near him.
He is always focused on practising his music and provides the band with many lovely suggestions for pieces to play as well as finding examples to listen to of the pieces we are currently playing.
He provides the rest of the band with his lovely baking which is a highlight of each practice.
Finally he does not drive and therefore it can be a big effort to get to band practice or to performances but he almost never lets the band down.
Criteria for Dean Jeffries Award
This award was named after our late founding Musical Director, Dean Jeffries, who transformed the band from a brass band into the current concert band format in 1966, the first in South Australia.
Each year, the award is presented by Dean's wife, Fay Jeffries, who remains a valued supporter of the band.
Recipients are determined through consultation between the President and Musical Director with selection based on the following criteria:
- attendance at rehearsals and performances
- musicianship (musical ability)
- 'sportsmanship' (having a positive influence on everyone around you)
- 'extra curricular' activities (ie set up and pack up of rehearsals and performances, organising events, providing supper, taking on extra responsibilities for a specific band activity, for example the newsletter)
