President

Paul Schwagly has been with the Sidney Concert band for several years.

Paul started his playing career in the Saanich school district, playing in the North Saanich Middle school band and then in Parkland’s high school band.  Paul’s main instrument is the Tenor Saxophone but he does also play the clarinet.  Paul writes that “The Sidney Concert band is a wonderful place to play, no matter what age or skill level you are.  Everyone is very supportive of one another.”

In addition to playing in the Band, Paul has spent 25 years with the North Saanich Volunteer Fire department as a volunteer.  He currently holds the position of Firefighter.

Past President

Jim was President of the band during the difficult Covid years, from 2019 through 2021.

Jim has been playing wind instruments since his early teens, first on clarinet with his high school and university orchestras, and then playing saxophone with a four-piece combo throughout the 1960s.  “The work with the combo was great fun and a big help in paying my university fees.” , he recalls. He was also the Band Major for both the Eastwood Collegiate and the McMaster University marching bands.

In addition to his instrumental playing, Jim has sung with various choral groups, ranging from the 100-voice Lysenko Chorale in Toronto to the barbershop harmony of the Victoria Village Squires. Over the years, he has played and sung vocals with the Swiftsure Big Band and is currently a member of the Saxophoria quintet, playing alto sax and performing vocals there as well. Jim continues to be the Master of Ceremonies for the Peninsula Singers concerts – a position he has held for more than a dozen years.

Treasurer

Ian spent his entire life (except for the first five years and the past 10) in the BC education system as a student (20 years total), school librarian, administrator, Ministry of Education Director, and utility infielder in the U Vic Faculty of Education. He started playing the flute in grade 7 at Central Junior High, because the rest of the flute section were girls. In high school he played sax in rock bands, and switched to banjo and guitar in university when the folksong revival came along. He MC’d at various Vancouver coffee houses and the Cave supper club, and at folk concerts. He took up the flute again ten years ago, to play in the Sidney Concert Band. He currently MC’s for the Swiftsure big band and once in a while for the Sidney Concert Band. He plays rugby for the Ebb Tide, and was Canadian champion in three sailboat classes.

Secretary

Peter Amundsen started his musical journey with piano lessons, adding trumpet lessons soon after. He kept up both until he completed the Western Board Grade 7 requirements in piano and then concentrated on his trumpet playing. He played trumpet in his school band, community band, Army Reserve Band and the Crowsnest Pass Symphony Orchestra until leaving home for further schooling.

Peter spent a year at Calgary’s Mount Royal College and played in a small jazz group there. He continued his studies in Edmonton at the University of Alberta, where he played in the U of A Symphony, the U of A Marching Band and the U of A Big Band. He also played for musical theatre productions (Over the Rainbow, Little Abner and others). After graduation, he moved back home, where he played with the Crowsnest Pass Symphony as well as a small combo playing jazz and big band music. Peter has played with the Sidney Concert Band for the last few years.

Music Librarian

Joy grew up in Victoria and started playing the accordion at age 6. By the time she was in Grade 3, she was playing in the school’s accordion band – and continued until Grade 7. In Junior High, Joy picked up the Bb clarinet, alto clarinet and bass clarinet. She continued on bass clarinet throughout high school. In 1970, Joy joined the Victoria City Police Band (now known as the Greater Victoria Concert Band – GVCB), and stayed with them for several years, until her work life with the City of Victoria took over. Joy got back into her music in 2014 when she joined the Sidney Concert Band, and later re-joined the GVCB in 2018. In addition to her love of music, Joy was active in dressage and show jumping for a dozen years, starting at the age of 18. Her top-showing Olympic-level horse was “Santana’s Fax”. Since 2001 she has been the proud owner of a Belgian Draft Horse named Zach – now 30 years young!

Publicity Director

Nicola began playing music and singing at a young age. She started taking guitar lessons at the age of 12 and joined the middle school concert band and chose to play the flute. She continued to play all through middle school until the end of her high school years.

After a four-year hiatus, Nicola joined the Sidney Concert Band in the fall of 2018, in the flute section and enjoys performing and singing. Outside the concert band, Nicola has performed with a variety of local groups including Reverie, and contributed to Reverie’s sound by playing guitar, mandolin and singing.

Director at Large

Steve recently retired from a career as an oceanographer.  The first half of his career was as a consultant, which took him along the coast of British Columbia by small vessel, quality time in rivers of Yukon and hot times along shorelines of the Middle East.  The second half was spent at Camosun College as an instructor and Chair of the Environmental Technology Department.

In his early years, Steve played the recorder in elementary school and moved to the alto saxophone around age 12.  He played in a concert band until high school.  Life got in the way until a few years ago when the kids were fledged and retirement was achieved. So, after a 40 year break, the saxophone is back in his life, as are a stable of horns including a soprano, C-melody, an alto and a tenor.  His original alto sax is waiting to be repurposed as a lamp. Steve plays tenor in the Sidney Concert Band when he is not playing hockey, catching prawns or travelling.