The Wedderburn Charming Emus
From Monaro Folk Society
The Wedderburn Charming Emus are a composite band for special occasions. They are an 'ad hoc' amalgamation of several key players from three of Victoria if not Australia's leading traditional social dance bands.
When originally formed in 1975 the Wedderburn Oldtimers Orchestra played acoustically on the traditional instruments of the bush - the piano, fiddle, tin whistle and 'squeezebox', augmented by a trombone from the town band and sometimes drums and banjo and specialising in the dances held in the rural woolsheds and barns from the time of the late Colonial and Edwardian eras. The dances consisted of the sets - First Set, Lancers, Alberts and Waltz Cotillion, the old time or circular waltz and the 'polkas' - Varsoviana (Waltz of Vienna), Polka Mazurka, Highland Schottische and Polka. These were interspersed with perrenial favourites such as Barn Dance, Pride of Erin, Gypsy Tap etc. The founding members were from various family dance bands from the 1920s in the Wedderburn district in the Golden Triangle of Central Victoria. The blend of older instruments in which the tin whistle and fiddle were a feature and the tunes led on piano and accordion were enhanced and characterised by entire acoustic playing in a manner and style that only oldtime ear playing musicians can perform filling a hall with music without the aid of electronic amplification. They once shared a performance with a group of modern musicians who could not replicate that rhythm and punch, even using electronic assistance. The Oldtimers were recipients of several gold and two platinum records which would be the envy of many a pop group and they have entertained on numerous television shows and on ocean liner cruises.
The Gay Charmers Old Time Band formed in the late 1950s as a result of a 'Swallows Talent Quest' in the Kerang region when their founding members were in their late teens and bright eyed and bushy tailed. They took their name in the days when gay was a popular term for bright and breezy dance music and incorporating with the logo name their home district of Lake Charm, hence 'Charmers'. The band has celebrated its 50th year of playing for district dances in various old time combinations from '50-50' where every second dance was a quickstep or foxtrot alternating with the regular Pride of Erins, progressive Barn Dance, Charmaine, Tangoette, Gypsy Tap, Swing Waltz, Evening 3 Step, Parma Waltz and so on. In recent decades they have had to incorporate New Vogue dances in their repertoire and in which few Foxtrots would be played; but are as equally at home with the more genuine old time that incorporate the sets and polkas in common with the Oldtimers' repertoire. A key factor with the Gay Charmers popularity is the 'drive' they have from the simple but effective combination of the vamp and improvisation on piano, bellows punch from the squeezebox (accordions) and rather unique off beat rhythmic strumming of the bango, ukelele style. Their more recent tape/CD has attracted considerable air play and patronage over radio 3DB as well as an incredible response from similar exposure via ABC radio during their Tasmanian tour.
The 'celebrated' Emu Creek Bush Band formed in 1983 as a provider of both revived bush dance music and the traditional old time dance music using the Wedderburn Old Timers Orchestra, Gay Charmers and the reverred dance musicians of both Nariel and of the late Bill McGlashan and Harry McQueen of Castlemaine as their model. They incorporate similar instrumentation of the Oldtimers and Gay Charmers in their makeup and specialise in acoustic playing as well as promotion of the 'collected' Australian tunes from district musicians throughout rurual Australia. They are experienced in conducting both revived bush dances and folk dances as well as the traditional old time dances and have played for countless special occasions such as the opening of the Melbourne Museum, Centenary of Federation and Goldrush functions right down to regular school children dances, various ethnic club socials, Colonial Balls in Melbourne as well as at the National Folk Festival in Canberra and Maldon and Port Fairy folk festivals. Two members of the band are also from another local dance band from nearby Sedgwick - the Dancing Pennies, who have played for dances for 15 years. Emu Creek Bush Band has recorded an amazing series of dance CDs covering the quadrilles, old polkas and waltzes, and set dances and bush dances popular in the revival folk scene. Recordings of all three bands are available via the Bush Dance and Music Club of Bendigo.
The pooling of resources between these dance bands acrues an amazing repertoire and experience that is probably unequaled anywhere in Australia; they could be regarded as 'The Chieftans of Oz' and national treasures.
Peter Ellis
