Leura Gardens Festival

Saturday 5 October

The Heathens Choir of Blackheath - This is the fourth year this delightful choir has supported the Festival. Like many community choirs, the mission of The Heathens Choir is to bring the joy of making music into the lives of ordinary people with busy lives. Audiences will enjoy their wide range of repertoire as well as their infectious pleasure in sharing their music. Some of the choir members are also Festival volunteers.

Katoomba Jazz Quartet - Fabulous supporters of the Festival, this group of talented local jazz performers on keyboard, bass, tenor saxophone and percussion will quickly have your feet tapping!

The Sydney Mandolin Orchestra - Appearing for the second time at the Festival, the Sydney Mandolin Orchestra is an ensemble that regularly performs in and around Sydney. Established in 1932, it is Australia’s oldest mandolin orchestra and is dedicated to keeping alive the tradition of mandolin music in Sydney. Their varied repertoire covers classical and contemporary pieces from Australian and international composers. Music played includes Renaissance, Classical, Neapolitan, Spanish, Modern and Popular.

Accordion and mandolin duo, Gary and James Daley, are highly renowned musicians who happen to be father and son. Gary, on accordion, has been a staple in the Sydney music scene for decades and James, on mandolin, is well known to Mountains’ audiences from appearances with Diamond Duck and the award-winning bluegrass band, The Morrisons. Together they perform a most unusual hybrid of classical, folk and improvisation. It’s an exotic combination of instruments exploring the music of Bartok, Beethoven, Bach and Italian folk song.

The Raduga Trio - Russian, Balkan, Gypsy jazz, Klezmer. "Raduga”– meaning 'rainbow' or 'joyous arch' (in Russian) – is an eclectic, energetic and exciting take on a raw gypsy style. Original compositions and tunes from around the world on the clarinet, piano accordion, ukulele, guitar and hand percussion, flavoured with tap dance and singing in Slavic and Roma languages. Come and join us in dance, clapping and sing along!

The Blue Mountains Concert Band - Performing for the first time in the Festival, the Blue Mountains Concert Band is comprised of musicians from all walks of life and has a charter of service to the Blue Mountains community. The band performs regularly at the Glenbrook ANZAC Dawn and Morning Services, the Buckland Village ANZAC Service, the Glenbrook Spring Festival and Glenbrook’s Carols in the Park as well as presenting its own annual concerts. Repertoire ranges from cabaret to chorale, symphonic to cinematic and under the guiding hand of conductor Garry Clarke the Band upholds its enduring position at the heart of community music in the Mountains.