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.

Matamata Festival 2019 - hosted by Matamata Brass Band

One of our benchmark play outs for the 2019 season was always going to be the Matamata Festival.  Let by our MD Te Reo Hughes, the band prepped hard and played an awesome repertoire for us to play:

Pieces included:  Soul Bossanova, Wonderful World (featuring young soloist Walter Hughes), James Bond Theme Song, Buglers Holiday and Conquest of Paradise.  This was a highly entertaining event for the band and audience alike. We were awarded a GOLD award, which was absolutely fantastic and gives us confidence for future events.

Thank you to Richard Lummus for the video - you can watch the Full Performance here:

Guest player Emma joined us from England to play at the festival

Solo Cornet Dana

E Flat Bass Amanda

MD (Musical Director) Te Reo

Solo Cornet Walter

Walter playing his solo (What a Wonderful World)

Buglers Holiday by the front row cornets

Solo Cornet George 

Solo Cornet Walter

Solo Cornet Dana

Principal Cornet Blake 

Solo Cornet Quentin

Percussion Lorene

Percussion Zeelia

Percussion Leighton (Still okay - as long as it's a Bass Drum!!)

Band Celebrating With Cake!!!

ANZAC Day service in Morrinsville

Once again, the Hamilton City Brass Auxiliary Band played at the ANZAC Day service at Morrinsville Cenotaph and then had afternoon tea at the Ginever's house.

The band - lead by Te Reo Hughes (far left of photo)

The photo below shows the band three years in a row of band members at the ANZAC service. Just goes to show how the band is growing in numbers and from strength to strength.

Peg De Winton's final rehearsal with Auxiliary Band

Peg De Winton has been a member of the Hamilton City Brass Band forever, so it seems. She began playing brass instruments at about age 10, and continued for the next 80 years with no regrets.  Now into her 90s she has decided to call it a day.  Peg has played the B Flat Bass (largest instrument in the band and wow!! Just amazing. She would often joke that she would keep coming to band so long as she could carry it to the band hall herself! One thing is for sure, she has great lungs for being able to still play it!!

We salute you for Peg for her amazing effort and loyalty to Hamilton City Brass.

Thank you to Richard Lummus for the photography.

Peg enjoying her moment of fame - a lot of history contained in this picture

The last rehearsal playing her B Flat Bass

Pam sharing an old band memory

Te Reo Hughes and Peg celebrating great times spent together in the band room

The 2019 Band celebrating with Peg

Waikato Show Public Performance

The Auxiliary Band put on a performance at the Waikato Show to bring the band into the public arena. This was well received and many people had the opportunity to see the band in action, those who would not normally see a brass band in action.

And again, thank you to Richard Lummus for your wonderful photography.

The audience was quite taken by the band, and the volume we can produce. 

Te Reo Hughes - Musical Director

Tracey from the Senior Band - giving a demonstration about the origins of brass instruments and introducing various players from the band. Tracey helped to get the Brass Factory up and going - she does a fabulous job.

Principal Cornet - Blake

Guest player  from the Senior Band - Lisa played Flugal Horn for us on this occasion

Julie demonstrated the Tenor Horn

Lyz showed us the Baritone

Geoff plays Euphonium

Josh plays first trombone

Robert Demonstrated the range of the Bass Trombone - always a crowd pleaser

Amanda demonstrated the E Flat Bass

Guest player Malcolm from the Senior Band demonstrated the largest brass instrument                      the B Flat Bass

Lizzie played a solo on her cornet accompanied by Malcolm - she plays in the Brass Factory

Anessa gave a demonstration of beginner sounds - aeroplanes and cars on a plastic trombone - she plays in the Brass Factory