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The Honky Tonk Room at The Family Hotel in Bridge Street, Tamworth is the venue for the Hohner Golden Harmonica Championships. The comp is also going back to the starting time of 1.30pm to cram as much great harmonica playing into the afternoon as possible.
Once again Kurt Jacob and Co are providing the major prize for the Open Section, a beautiful gold plated Hohner 270 Chromonica. The prize is mounted on a red cedar trophy donated by Tamworth’s Noel Smith. Other prizes are for runner up, encouragement award and audience prize.
The Hohner Golden Harmonica Championships is one of the longest running events of the Tamworth Festival and organiser Lawrie Minson would like to thank Jac and Tricia Smits and their son Gerard Smits from Kurt Jacob and Co for their ongoing support of the competition.
The number for the Family Hotel is 02 6765 7722 and it’s located on the corner of Bridge and Belmore Streets opposite Woolworths Service Station.
For tickets and enquiries, contact Lawrie Minson: Ph 0418523490 Email lm58@bigpond.com
The 30th annual Golden Harmonica Championship has been completed, with a near-record crowd enjoying a fabulous afternoon of dexterity and skill on both the chromatic and diatonic harmonicas. Once again, the venue was the Family Hotel in Bridge Street Tamworth and a splendid time was had by all.
2012 Golden Harmonica Champion Chris Maunders (centre), with the Golden Harmonica trophy and Event Director Lawrie Minson (left) & Gerard Smits (KJ Music, right). Can't you tuck the shirts in, guys?
Left to right: Lawrie Minson, Ray Lechminka (runner up, Open section) and Gerard Smits. Ray has also managed to outdo everyone present by having his shirt not only un-tucked but also un-done!! (I won't mention the thongs - woops, I just did).
Above Left: Encouragement Award winner Brennen Fell with Lawrie & Gerard; Right: Audience Award winner James Norton with Lawrie & Gerard.
Did James win the Audience prize because he knows how to tuck in his shirt? Or was it the hat?? I know, I know - it's about the playing, not the sartorial splendour!!
The winner received a highly-collectable gold-plated Hohner Marine Band 100th Anniversary harmonica and the trophy supplied by Noel Smith. The harmonica was a limited edition instrument released in 1996 to celebrate the longevity and on-going popularity of the Marine Band model. Interestingly, the Marine Band has had a variety of names in various countries, including the "Super Vamper" in Australia and the UK.
Winner Chris Maunders travelled up from Melbourne (a train trip of over 20 hours) where he has just completed studies at the Victorian College of the Arts. He was the first Chromatic harmonica player to win for a number of years.
Ray Lechminka ("Big Blind Ray") teaches harmonica in Sydney. His credits include a recent season playing harmonica at the Sydney Opera House for the Australian Opera production of "Of Mice and Men", based on the novel by John Steinbeck, composed by Carlisle Ford and directed by Bruce Beresford.
Check out Ray's facebook page here.
Perennial audience favourite James Norton is a bush poet and harmonica man from the Hawkesbury near Richmond, NSW and has released a CD "Bush Bards, Bars and Bivouacs".
Brennen Fell is just a young bloke...shows a lot of promise, though.
Judges PJ and Billy James jamming at the end of the contest.
Event organiser Lawrie Minson has applauded the Family Hotel in Bridge Street Tamworth for their support of the 29th annual Hohner Golden Harmonica Championships. The comp ran smoothly and the format was great. The Pub Group and XXXX Gold even gave some lucky members of the audience their own XXXX golden harmonicas as a take home gift.
The house band of Randall Wilson, Kirk Steel, Steve Newton and Anthony Walmsley did a superb job and the feature act for the afternoon was Christian Marsh's trio with Andrew Toner and Paul Robert Burton. Compere for the show was Kevin Anderson and PJ Kevo from Newcastle helped out Lawrie with the judging.
18-year-old Michael Diamond from Nowra was the big winner and he had a smile a mile wide when Lawrie presented him with his trophy, a gold plated Hohner 270 Chromonica mounted on a hand crafted red cedar trophy.
Noel Smith from Tamworth supplies the trophy each year and Dick Martin from Dalby Tourist Park helped sponsor the event. Details are listed below.
Golden Harmonica Event Organiser Lawrie Minson (left) and 2011 Champion Michael Diamond.