Friends and fun through music

A popular march, a vigorous polka, familiar movie scores, and modern pieces: The repertoire of the local brass bands reflects the diverse tastes of the audience members – especially during Eppan's "Music Nights."

Rehearsals… practice sessions… and then another performance. After the lengthy interruption caused by the pandemic, Eppan's musicians can finally perform in front of audiences again. The applause is wonderful. "When you're playing to a full house, you are more concentrated. It boosts your performance and the joy you experience," says Alex Pircher. This tenor hornist is the head and conductor of the St. Michael-Eppan citizens' band with its 68 members. Due to the number of different constituent districts – St. Michael, St. Pauls, Girlan, and Frangart – the community and its 15,000 inhabitants boast four different brass bands.

When musical notes float on the summer night breezes… These bands perform for religious celebrations, at their very popular annual concerts, and during merry festivals on warm summer evenings such as Eppan's "Music Nights." Some of the performances take place in the music pavilions in the village squares. "It is especially rewarding – but also challenging – to perform at an estate or in an inner courtyard. The acoustics are suddenly quite different," Alex Pircher explains. They have to arrive at 7 p.m. when the performance is to begin at 8:30 under the direction of conductor Patrick Gruber.

At the crossroads of culture and tradition Bernhard Andrich, head of the Girlan band (with 60 members – incl. honorary members), loves the great atmosphere of the Music Nights. "So many visitors from abroad or big cities like Milan and Rome come to stay in Eppan during the summer, and thus become acquainted with Eppan's tradition and culture. A lot of them ask to take selfies with us." The musical pieces they select are intended to please the audience. Every listener should feel that his tastes are being addressed. Marches, polkas, overtures, movie scores, all the way up to modern pieces. "All of the bands like march music," says Andrich. The band leader decides on the musical style, the kind of pieces, etc. In the case of the exhibition in Girlan, that's Manfred Sanin. "The band leader's character has a big impact on the band's mood and working climate," explains the French horn player.

Camaraderie and music-making The deputy head of the St. Pauls band is a red-bearded fellow seated in the percussion section. For Dominik Ebner, making music is a good way to balance workstress. The camaraderie is the main thing for him, "because that's the only thing that keeps us together in the long run." The joy of making music and the joy music provides. With Christoph Stadler, a band leader

A pleasure to see and to hear: The brass bands of Eppan in their colorful traditional costumes help preserve history and time-honored culture.

THIS ISN'T THE VIENNESE PHILHARMONIC. WE ARE LOOKING FOR DECENT MUSIC FOR OUR VILLAGE.

Dominik Ebner, assistant leader of the St. Pauls brass band

WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING TO A FULL HOUSE, YOU ARE MORE CONCENTRATED.

Alex Pircher, leader of the St. Michael-Eppan brass band from the band's own ranks, the band's 70 members demonstrate their talent with march music and church music – after all, the band evolved from the diocese church music group.

An optimal mix And with regards to the mix, "a balanced blend of deep and high brass, woods, and percussion is important," according to Ebner. Then he adds, "This isn't the Viennese Philharmonic, of course. We are looking for decent music for our village." If one register is (too) well represented, some of the other musicians might just pause during certain passages. And that distorts the overall effect. It's different when certain registers are under-represented. "Then musicians from other bands come and help us out," says Jakob Obkircher, head of the Frangart band. It's the youngest band and is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary. It's also the smallest band, with only 40 members – but relative to the populace of a village like Frangart, it has a respectable size.

Born talent It often seems that musical talent runs in a family. Some people seem to be "born talented." This can lead straight to music school and then also to membership in a brass band. Obkircher's extended family has contributed up to nine musicians. "Being a member also entails certain obligations," the head of the band notes. Members have to attend not only the performances, but also the rehearsals – twice a week, and even more often when an important concert is coming up.

ROUGHLY HALF OUR MEMBERS ARE WOMEN. WE'D BE LOST WITHOUT THEM.

Bernhard Andrich, leader of the Girlan brass band

A performance in traditional garb Traditional garb is a special sign of belonging to the brass band. A public performance while not dressed in these traditional garments would be unthinkable. The men's costumes – kneelong Lederhosen, white shirts, red-green vests, green suspenders, brown jackets, a brimmed hat, as well as knee-long stockings and buckled shoes – reflect Upper Adige traditions. The ladies wear a blouse and red-green jacket with a black pleated skirt and cotton apron. The four brass bands have similar outfits. Only the band members from St. Pauls are a little conspicuous with their blue jackets and top hats. "The color blue is from the 1950s. The tailor happened to have this fabric on hand, and so we opted for it. We found really old photos of men dressed in traditional garb wearing top hats, so we decided to revive them," explains St. Pauls band leader Dominik Ebner. Authentic traditional garments are not cheap. An entire outfit can cost 3,000 euros. The belt decorated with quills costs another 1,500 euros. The garments belong to the band and are loaned to the band members.

Female band members The market women belong to the band in the wider sense of the word. In the past, the band consisted solely of men. Four ladies would march along as decoration, so to speak. Two carried barrels of schnapps, and two carried flowers. Today, it's difficult to find women willing to march along merely as decoration – especially since so many band members are women. "Roughly half of our members are women. We'd be lost without them," jokes Bernhard Andrich, the leader of the Girlan band. But no one is thinking of quitting. On the contrary: "We've gotten new members, and some former members have returned," says Alex Pircher of the Michael band joyfully. And his colleague Jakob Obkircher from Frangart nurses one heart-felt desire: "To again make music without a care, without any thought of the consequences."

The community of Eppan boasts three concert bands and a citizens' band.

BEING A MEMBER ALSO ENTAILS CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS.

Jakob Obkircher, leader of the Frangart brass band