National Youth Band of New Zealand

Conductor: Nigel Weeks

Regent Hall, London
Friday 25th April 2003

Right from the opening of the concert with the Gordon Jacobs arrangement of the National Anthem, it was clear that we were in for a good evening.

Intonation and attack were very precise, and the sound of the band, though maybe a little strident at the top end, was rich and full. The march The Champions was followed by Hespe's The Three Musketeers, played in tribute to the National Band of New Zealand which visited the UK in 1953, winning the British Open that year. Here all sections of the band were able to show off their paces, with the six basses being particularly impressive, and indeed their sonorous tones and accurate playing were prominent throughout the
programme.

David Bremner is a professional trombonist and former principal of the band, and he accompanied them on the tour. His first contribution was a solo entitled Bremner Aria, specially written for him by Ross Harris, and this lyrical piece enabled him to demonstrate his control and precision across the full range of the instrument. The accompaniment was quite densely scored at times, and this listener was reminded at times of Ray Steadman'Allen's The Eternal Quest, as the soloist came through with his motifs. As an encore, we had the old favourite The Bluebells of Scotland, which nevertheless came over as quite fresh, with the cadenzas being carefully thought out.

Following Gordon Langford's setting of The Lost Chord, where the phrases could have been carried through a little more at times, we heard Alan Fernie's Spiritual Sounds, presented in a very lively and enthusiastic manner.

The second half opened with two more contemporary works from New Zealand. The first, Tawhirimatea by Gareth Farr, was rhythmically complex, allowing the fine percussionists to come to the fore, as well as featuring three conch shells, which added their distinctive sound. In contrast was D Bloomfield's Behold the Narrows from the Hill, inspired by the experiences of the New Zealand troops in Gallipoli during the First World War. This work was full of varying emotions, as fanfares, turkish elements and an inspiring chorale painted the picture, punctuated by some exposed solo writing. This is certainly a major contribution to the repertoire, a tough test for any band, but these young people rose to the challenge
magnificently.

Our own David Childs brought his customary assurance to his solo items, Carnival of Venice, arranged Catherall, Carrickfergus and his own version of Flight of the Bumble Bee. David paid particular tribute to the accompanying skills of the band, who had only had a brief rehearsal with him that afternoon.

As things were drawing to a close the band brought three movements from Peter Graham's Windows of the World. This again was presented with tremendous verve and stage presentation was first-class. Leni Sulusi, the kit drummer led the way, and special mention must be made of Sarah Walker on rep, who excelled in the solo part played so memorably at the premiere by Ben Godfrey, and trombonist Kieran Byrne. The two guest soloists were brought back to present Softly as I Leave You (arr Catherall) as a duet, where David Childs lightened his tone to produce an effective balance
between the two instruments.

Nigel Weeks, who conducted and compered with aplomb throughout, commented that the last time he had conducted the piece had been with Tredegar band and the Childs Brothers. For the finale, the band played Goff Richards' arrangement of When the Saints, including a laid-back vocal chorus, before presenting the New Zealand anthem "God Defend New Zealand" as a dignified and stately encore, and a fitting end to the tour.

All in all it had been an extremely enjoyable evening, and an object lesson in how to present challenging, contemporary music in a user-friendly manner. As stated earlier, the top end of the band may have sounded a little more strident than we are used to at times, and the four euphonium players were occasionally too dominant, particularly as there was only one first baritone. Also, I think largely due to the seating formation, the fine flugel players struggled to be heard from their position tucked away in the middle. This is really nit-picking however, as the overall standard was very good indeed. It is always hard to single out individuals from such a fine combination, but Bede Wiliams on Solo Cornet, Abbey Edlin on horn and Hamish Dean on bass trombone all made significant contributions, whilst soprano cornettist Colin Clark was very secure throughout, adding a distinctive colour to the top end.

One final question though - Where was the audience? Having gathered from the initial announcement on 4barsrest that tickets would be limited, and then being informed that tickets were available on the door, I made sure I was there in good time. In the event, however, the total audience, including the band's own supporters, numbered no more than 150. Whether due to lack of advertising or to apathy I do not know, although I was pleased to hear that other concerts on their tour had been beter attended. All I can say is those who were not there missed out on a banding feast.

^back to top