After months of deliberation, the National Band of New Zealand has decided to attend the World Music Concourse in Kerkrade in July.

Three Years

For the 2007-2009 National Band of New Zealand under the Musical Direction of Howard Taylor, this tour will wrap-up a fulfilling three year stint including a concert tour of New Zealand with James Morrison, and a recording.

Funding

The National Band Management were recently advised of a succesful grant application which sees the band gaining $35,000 from NZ Community Trust for the tour to Kerkrade.

Auditions

Tens days out from the National Championships all New Zealand bands received a notice from the management of the National Brass Band of New Zealand giving some details of the planned tour to Kerkrade.

The letter also invited late auditions in Napier to supplement those members of the 2007 band who will not be available for the week of touring.

Not Happy

However, it would seem that not everyone is happy with the decision to tour overseas.

Huge Loss of Money

Many grass roots bands people are deeply concerned that there has been scant information from band management and Brass Bands Association of New Zealand (BBANZ) management about the reduction in the $55,000 loss incurred in 2007 from the tour of New Zealand with James Morrison under Musical Director Howard Taylor.

Motion not to tour

For some time, Life Member of BBANZ Graeme Aldridge has highlighted a motion made after the 1995 National Band tour to America "that no future band should be allowed to tour without first having secured sufficient funding for any such tour”.

He has written several letters to the NZ Mouthpiece magazine and while little traction was made around this issue there is now some disquiet that there is potential for the band to again drain the meagre reserves of BBANZ.

Youth pay more

Further, a concerned bandsman told 4BRDU, there are additional risks in having both the Youth Band and the National Band touring in the same year. As well, there is disparity in the contribution by members — $2000 for the National Band to Europe versus $3000 to Japan for the Youth Band.

4BRDU has contacted the office of the BBANZ for comment. It has not issued a response so far, except requesting to have the BBANZ logo to be removed from this article.