National Secondary Schools' Brass Band 2024
This year we were represented by Anessa Ginever and Lizzie Barr (both were selected while playing for Hamilton Auxiliary and then moved up to Hamilton City Brass Senior Band). Anessa played Principal Trombone and Lizzie 2nd Cornet in the NSSBB Band. This is the second time the girls have represented in this prestigious brass band. Who knows what the future will bring? Sandra Ginever was also attending this course as the NSSBB Course Manager. This was Sandra's final year as band manager (after four years of service to the band). Also, the band played a couple of pieces by HCB composer, Leighton Ginever. Te Reo Genefaas (HCB musician) also had a hand in this year's course designing this year's graphic designs.
About the NSSBB (in brief for our younger Auxiliary Band members)... You have to be attending a high school (or similar i.e. correspondence school) in New Zealand. It is not essential to be playing in a band, but you do have to meet a certain performance criteria and prepare an audition video. Applications usually open up in February/March with application date in May/June... There are presently two brass bands (NSSBB & NSSBB Development Band) so many students get to experience this opportunity. The course takes place in September/October school holidays. The course usually has many hours of rehearsals, social activities and tutorials with expert tutors. The Musical Directors are great... there is so much to learn on the course. The culmination of the course is a concert performance with each band playing separately as well as together (one LARGE band!!). The course usually runs in the October School Holidays for 4-5 days. This year there were 82 students from Auckland to Invercargill.
If you are interested in this opportunity talk with Lizzie and Anessa or Sandra... also, former band members include: James (in Auxiliary), Walter (HCB) and Leighton (HCB).
Links to selected performances:
Ka Waiata Ki A Maria (NSSBB with Development Band & staff choir)
Flight Development Band
You Can't Stop the Beat Development Band
Hourglass: Sands of Time (NSSBB in rehearsal)
Telephone (Combined Band)
Locked out of Heaven (Combined Band)
