Nationals 2019 - Hamilton NZ

Wow - the first time Hamilton City Auxiliary Brass competed at NZ Nationals for six years!!

This was an exciting opportunity for our band, with many new players who have never been to a nationals let alone compete.  Thanks to our steady leader Te Reo Hughes at the helm we managed to get ourselves through this week. Thanks to Simon (Eastern BOP) for joining us with his Baritone, Todd (Hamilton City A Grade) on Soprano, Julie  on Tenor Horn and Robert on Trombone (Both from Cambridge Brass) for supporting us.

Some of the Highlights:

• Hamilton City Brass Auxiliary Band came 2nd in D Grade 
• Leighton Ginever competed in the U19 Bass competition and came a credible 5th for his first solo attempt at nationals.  
• Many of the band members helped as volunteers (known as the Green Army) throughout the week and so it was a big effort. Well done by all for making the event a huge success!
• The march was cancelled outdoors, but a new invent magically appeared inside Claudelands Event Centre and a display event took place. Watch this here: It's an entertaining event without contest - great to see all the local bands having a go - Hamilton City Brass, Te Awamutu, Cambridge, Matamata...Chicago Brass came over and put on a great performance - this was the second time an American brass band has performed on NZ soil. 
• Band members met Tim from Brassbanned.com - super exciting!!
• Chicago Brass & Hamilton City Brass performed in a Gala Concert  Watch this here and boy was that a treat.
• Dana Foley and Richard Lummus took AMAZING photographs of the whole event! Thank you for doing this service!! 

Getting ready for the band performance 

 Arriving by bus the band makes their way to Southwell School for the D Grade competition. 

Lyz and Robbie lead the way. 

 Greg and Leighton

 Zeelia, Te Reo, Aiko, Quentin, Sandra 

 Quentin, Aiko, Te Reo, Sandra, Blake

Rowan, Jeremy  

 Sharon and Blake

Lyz and Robbie 

Pam and Cameron

Amanda, Ema, Leighton, Sandra - at the band hall before going to Southwell 

Jeremy, Rowan, Alex and Anessa 

John 

 Walter 

Quentin - surprise (taken by his wife - ha ha!!) 

 Robbie

 Greg and Robbie

George 

 Lyz, Ian, and in the background Peg

The band on stage Te Reo out front

Unofficial band photo

Leighton Ginever - plays the tuba in U19 solos.

Leighton helped by his tutor Clive Burnell

 Last minute drink of water

OTHER PICTURES FROM THE NATIONALS

Parade of Bands - Claudelands Event Centre was a really fun event watch at this link 

 Our friends from Matamata Brass getting a quick pic before the march.

The march venue 

 Tim from Brassbanned interviewing Stephen from Hamilton City Brass

 Mike from Hamilton City Brass

 Matamata doing their line up before their march

 Josh from Matamata Brass

North Shore Brass getting ready for the march 

Te Awamutu Brass getting ready

Hamilton City Brass with a Te Awamutu Angel in the line up 

Something funny ?? Elizabeth and Emma from Hamilton City Brass 

Opeti from Hamilton City Brass

Robyn and Sergio from Hamilton City Brass 

Walter, Glenn and Mike from Hamilton City Brass (Great to see the MD playing)

Chicago Brass lined up ready to go

Robert from Cambridge Brass (also plays in Hamilton City Auxiliary)

Tim from Brass Banned

Leighton met Tim from Brass Banned during set up day - fan club!!

Greeting ready for Nationals 2019

2019 is a huge year for the Auxiliary Band - the first time in more than six years that the band will play at the nationals!  We are entered in the D Grade competition and practicing frantically to get our tunes all ready to wow the adjudicator and the audience.

We recently had a band rehearsal weekend and sectionals with a guest conductor Mason Elliot to get ourselves up to speed. Here are a few pictures... Tunes are not allowed to be shown because the adjudicators are going to find out on the day... shhh it's all a big secret!! :)

Guest conductor Mason Elliot taking the band through its paces

Basses and percussion

Middle of the band including front row cornets, horns, baritones and euphoniums

Front Row Cornets at a sectional

Basses warming up in the sun before their sectional

Break time is always a good time

Band always has a good support crew watching on the sideline - family and friends.

The flyers are out - all the websites and Facebook pages are advertising the band contest... now all we can do is wait and see...

New Zealand Secondary Schools Brass Band

News came through that Walter Hughes and Leighton Ginever, two of our junior players have been selected to play for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Band - this band camp will take place in September 2019. Congratulations boys, we are super proud of you and glad to have you represent our band.

Walter is a Year 9 at Hamilton's Fraser High School and Leighton is in Year 11 at Morrinsville College. They will represent their schools, and their band with pride.

Leighton and Walter standing proudly in their new band hoodies, celebrating their selection for NZSSBB

Walter playing his solo at Matamata Festival earlier in 2019

Leighton playing at the Waikato Show earlier in 2019

Thank you to Richard Lummus for your photography

New Uniforms for the Band... out with the old and in with the new.

The title of this blog says it all...

The band has some amazing new uniform hoodies to go with the new branding of the band.

THE OLD

THE NEW

The new logo represents the Waikato River and waka, the three valves for the valved brass instruments and the three branches of the organisation: Hamilton City Senior Band, Auxiliary Band and the Brass Factory Beginners Band. 

Hamilton Auxiliary Brass: Te Tira Pūtētere o Kirikiriroa

For a more thorough explanation of the new logo go to this page on the Hamilton City Brass Band website.