It is with considerable regret that the Management of North Shore Brass announces the decision by Mr Brent Large to retire as Musical Director.

The Partnership
For the past ten years North Shore Brass has prospered musically under the Musical Direction of Mr Large.

A past New Zealand Brass Musician of the Year with a Salvation Army background, Brent took over the helm at North Shore following a similarly successful period as Musical Director of Auckland City Brass and numerous Championship wins as Principal Tenor Horn with Dalewool Auckland Brass.

With all that experience and musicianship it is no surprise that Brent has guided North Shore Brass through one of its most successful periods. At the 2002 New Zealand National Band Championships in Invercargill North Shore Brass the band won the Own Choice Selection and gained three second placings.

This was then followed at the 2003 Championships in Rotorua with wins in the Sacred Item, Test Selection and overall B Grade aggregate and in doing so North Shore Brass became the Champion B Grade band of New Zealand.

The success continued in 2003 with North Shore Brass also becoming the Champion Band of Auckland and achieving promotion back into the elite A Grade.

At the 2006 National Championships in Dunedin North Shore Brass was the fourth placed New Zealand band in only its second start back in the A Grade.

Takapuna’s Bruce Mason Centre was the venue for the 2007 Brass Band Championships of NZ where local band North Shore Brass tasted major success achieving the prestigious title of “2007 Band of the Year”.

Final Concert

North Shore Brass’s concert at the Takapuna Normal Intermediate School on Sunday 30 November (2.30pm) will be Brent’s final engagement out front.

The band is expecting a large audience as supporters and past players show their appreciation to Brent for all he has done in lifting North Shore Brass to one of country’s top ranked brass bands. It is hoped that although finishing as Musical Director this will not see the end of Brent’s association with the band.

The Future

Brent’s departure will be a big loss to North Shore Brass and he will naturally be extremely difficult to replace. However, this also means a chance to start a new and hopefully equally successful period with the band expecting to be able to make an announcement soon on future plans particularly with respect to the 2009 NZ National Contest in Napier.

For further details on North Shore Brass and/or the 30th November concert please contact John Sullivan at jsullivan@customcontrols.co.nz