To the best of my knowledge, the wind symphony is a relatively recent arrival in the musical roster of Australian music institutions. It’s a staple of American music departments, of course, where there is rarely any shortage of flautists, clarinetists or tubists, and whence there is so much repertoire. Some deal of this – many would say the best of it – derives from one Percy Aldridge Grainger, oboist and Bandsman (2nd class) in the Coast Artillery Band of the United States Army (1917-19).

Rehearsal shot, courtesy of Jodie Blackshaw Facebook page

In June 2014, John Lynch arrived in Sydney to create what his official biography terms “the first comprehensive university band program in Australian history”. Previously Director of Bands at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA, and the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS, he brought to Sydney not just decades of experience working with eager, sometimes unruly young players, but also an impressive resume as a clinician and author of books about his profession. More recently still, he has inaugurated at the Sydney Con the first graduate degree in this country in wind band conducting.

Sadly for this Grainger-Ranger, there was...