Naden Band returns to local Memorial Park Music Festival

The Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy performs at last year’s Memorial Park Music Festival in Esquimalt.

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

The Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy will ring in the first day of summer by headlining opening night at the Township of Esquimalt’s Memorial Park Music Festival.

The naval band will help kick off the township’s annual series of six Tuesday night concerts with a free performance on June 21 between 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the historic park located at 1212 Esquimalt Rd.

The Esquimalt High School Band will open with a performance at 5 p.m.

Flutist PO1 Marie-Perle Broadley and Assistant Director of Music CPO2 Brayden Wise will program and conduct part of the Naden Band’s performance.

“We love playing for the public, it’s one of our greatest joys and some of our biggest fans live right here in Esquimalt,” says PO1 Broadley.

“The venue has a very laid back atmosphere in a park setting, and many people bring their families and are normally equipped with blankets, lawn chairs and food.”

PO1 Broadley says some of the compositions the band will perform include The Vanished Army by Kenneth J. Alford; Scottish Rhapsody in a tribute to legendary Canadian composer Howard Cable who died on March 30; and an undecided piece of music celebrating Quebec holiday Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, which falls on June 24.  

“It’s a very family-oriented event so we try to cater to everyone and play a little bit of everything,” says PO1 Broadley.

The music festival will also feature headline acts The Soul Shakers (June 28), Bobby Dazzler (July 5), Deb Thomson Band (July 12), Virtual Elvis (July 19) and Bijou du Bayou (July 26).