Bands | Santa Cruz
Band of the Parish of São Lourenço of Camacha | Banda Paroquial de São Lourenço da Camacha
The Parish Band of São Lourenço of Camacha was founded by the parish priest of that village, Father António Joaquim Figueira Pestana Martinho, on August 10, 1973, with the support of Professor Raúl Gomes Serrão, the first conductor and rehearser of the delegation.
Since its foundation, the group has carried out several performances throughout the island of Madeira and cultural exchanges with National Bands. The community is responsible for a School of Music that aims to attract new young musicians to join the main band. The Band Flag is based on two main colors, red and white, and in the center is a musical lyre embroidered in gold, flanked by the grid and the palm.
The São Lourenço of Camacha Parish Band is currently the only existing Parish Band in Portugal.
Philarmonic Band of Caniço and Eiras | Banda Filarmónica do Caniço e Eiras
Founded on November 6, 2003, by conductor Eduardo Luís Gama, the Caniço and Eiras Philharmonic Band, based in the parish of Eiras, consists of about 35 members.
A large part of the elements that are currently part of the Band passed through the training school "O Cebolinha", a free school that aims to prepare its students and offer them good bases so that in the future they can join the main Band.
The Caniço and Eiras Philharmonic Band performs at various events on Madeira Island, such as festivals and concerts, and recently, in 2018, for the first time in its history, it participated in an exchange with the Musical and Recreational Society of Xartinho. In addition to the musical aspect, the community organizes excursions and participates in the events that take place in Caniço, with the promotion of a food and drink stand, for fundraising.
Of the instruments that make up the band, there are several wind instruments, such as the clarinet, the saxophone, the trumpet, the bassoon, the horn, the tuba, the trombone, the euphonium and even percussion instruments such as the bass drum, the eardrum, the tubular fines and the battery.
Santa Cruz Municipal Band | Banda Municipal de Santa Cruz
Founded on December 8, 1887 by Conducter João Manuel Álvares Júnior, the Municipal Band of Santa Cruz, formerly known as the Filarmónica União Fraternal e Recreativa Santacruzense, has come to assume a fundamental role with regard to culture and traditions, not only from the County, as well as from the entire Region.
The community regularly performs at parties inside and outside the municipality of Santa Cruz and in band meetings.
In 2008 the band held an exchange with the Banda Municipal de Santana and in 2011 made its first national exchange with the Banda de Calvos, belonging to the municipality of Póvoa de Lanhoso, district of Braga.
The Municipal Band of Santa Cruz is headquartered in Quinta do Revoredo, next to the Casa da Cultura of Santa Cruz, is made up of about 37 elements, with artistic director Conducter Armando Santos. It also owns the music school 'O Colcheia' which aims to invest in the training and integration of new musicians in the main band.
Since 1924 the community has annually organized the celebration of the Restoration of Independence of Portugal, also known as ‘Alvorada’, a unique event in the Region that takes place at dawn on December 1st in Santa Cruz.