News Update

Bonanza Comes to Town

Tuesday 22 May, 8:00pm at St Michael and All Angels Church, 84 Oxford Terrace
Adult: $40.00, Full-time student: $15.00.
Book here. or phone 963 0870 (Booking fees may apply)

Great Day at the CPBBA Solos

Congratulations to the CPBBA committee for running a very well organized Provincial Solo and Party competition. It was very hearting to see greatly increased numbers of performers representing ten Canterbury bands. The solo adjudicator was Mike Ford from Nelson with Dwayne Bloomfield from Timaru judging the ensemble events.

Some of our litle stars: Georgia Hoy (Under 17 Slow Melody) Emma McMorran(Under13 Slow Melody) and Jordan Seaton (Under 17 Own Choice)

Winners of the Junior Ensemble (Woolston Concert Brass).
Adjudicator Mike Ford and his writer Courtney Milne.
Tension mounts as the competitors await the results, which were as follows:

Under 13 Slow Melody
1 Emma McMorran (Woolston Concert Brass)
2 Allanah Hounsome-Vail (Woolston Junior Band)
3 Grace Beatson (Alpine Energy Timaru Brass)

Under 13 Own Choice
1 Caleb Nicholson (Alpine Energy Timaru Brass)
2 Abby Wilson (Woolston Junior Band)
3 Rebecca Harris (New Brighton Silver Band)

Under 17 Slow Melody
1 Georgia Hoy (Woolston Concert Brass)
2 Matthew Harris (New Brighton Silver Band)
3 Jordan Seaton (Woolston Brass)

Under 17 Own Choice
1 Jordan Seaton (Woolston Brass)
2 Matthew Harris (New Brighton Silver Band)
3 Georgia Hoy (Woolston Concert Brass)

Under 19 Slow Melody
1 Dale Vail (Leopard Coachlines Canterbury Brass)
2 Lewis Osborne (Alpine Energy Timaru Brass)

Under 19 Own Choice
1 Dale Vail (Leopard Coachlines Canterbury Brass)
2 Lewis Osborne (Alpine Energy Timaru Brass)

Junior Champion of Champions – Dale Vail
(Leopard Coachlines Canterbury Brass)

Open Slow Melody
1 Grant Dempsey (Addington Brass)
2 Andrew Yorkstone (Woolston Brass)
3 Emma Caunter (Woolston Brass)

Open Own Choice
1 Andrew Yorkstone (Woolston Brass)
2 = Grant Dempsey (Addington Brass)
2 = Sam Pinder (Woolston Brass)

Championship Slow Melody
1 Callum Hewson (Woolston Brass)
2 Kevin McMorran (Leopard Coachlines Canterbury Brass)
3 Davey Boyes (Woolston Brass)

Championship Own Choice
1 Michael Cwach (Addington Brass)
2 Davey Boyes (Woolston Brass)
3 Steve Griffin (Leopard Coachlines Canterbury Brass)

Champion of Champions - Davey Boyes (Woolston Brass)

Ensembles
Junior Group
1 Woolston Junior Band

Open Duet
1 David Mallet and David Boyes (Leopard Coachlines and Woolston Brass)
2 Michael Cwach and Bruce Muschamp (Addington Brass)
3 = Michael Cwach and Bruce Robert (Addington Brass)
3 = Michael Cwach and Cyrenne Seaton (Addington Brass)

Open Ensembles
1 Army Band Quintet
2 Addington Brass
3 Addington Quintet

Great Turnout for ANZAC Concert

This year's Anzac Remembered concert paid tribute to the Royal New Zealand Air Force in celebration of its 75th Anniversary. Some may have been dubious as to the suitability of The Air Force Museum at Wigram as a concert venue, but the acoustics in the converted hangar were surprisingly good and the exhibits on display certainly enhanced the atmosphere! The concert was well received by a capacity crowd. (Independent review pending.)

ANZAC Remembered

Woolston Brass always presents a fantastic Anzac Day concert and this year will be no exception as the band pays tribute to the people and music of the Royal New Zealand Air Force in celebration of the RNZAF's 75th anniversary.

For a pre-Anzac Day morsel tune into CTV tomorrow morning (Tuesday 24 April) from 9.30 am, for the Last Post performed live by Steve Chapman.

Tickets are still available for the concert from www.dashtickets.co.nz or the shop at the Air Force Museum. The shop staff have kindly offered to take payments over the phone so that you can simply pick the tickets up on the day. Call 03 343 9532

ANZAC Remembered
Wednesday 25 April 2.00 pm – concert venue doors open from 1.00 pm
Air Force Museum of New Zealand, 45 Harvard Drive, Wigram.
Admission $20 with children under 12 free of charge.
FREE parking on site.

2012 National Youth Band Announced

The Brass Bands Association of New Zealand has announced the 2012 National Youth Band. Congratulations to Woolston players Christopher Broadbent (solo cornet) and Jordan Seaton (bass) on their selection.

The youth band will assemble in Auckland on the 20th of July before departing for China where it will take part in the Tianjin International Children's Cultural and Arts Festival. All players in the band are required to be under the age of 18.

Army Band Veterans’ Tour

Mr Michael Pettersen (Patron of our Bass Trombone chair) is involved in the organization of an ANZAC tour of Flanders by former members of the New Zealand Army Band.  The tour will include a dawn services at Messines and at the Menin Gate, and a farewell concert. Prior to their departure, the veterans' Band will be performing a short concert on the 19th April at 4.00 pm at the Papanui RSA, 55 Bell vue Avenue, Christchurch.

Forgotten Hero

Former Woolston horn player Owen Ludlow died last week aged 89.

Owen "Luds" Ludlow was schooled at Nazareth House, an institution for Catholic children whose parents could no longer support them through the depression. He was a Junior Canterbury Rugby League Representative and he captained the 1936 Canterbury primary school team. Owen left school at 14 to train as a butcher.

Owen Ludlow couldn't swim when as an 18-year-old he volunteered to join the Royal New Zealand Navy in the early days of the Second World War. The young butcher and junior league star was posted as a Navy Signalman to the Far East to help stop the rampaging Imperial Army, but in February 1942 his destroyer, HMS Encounter was torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese in the Java Sea. Surviving the shark-infested waters and enemy gun fire, Owen was taken prisoner and enslaved in a brutal Sumatra POW camp.

The band's Annual General Meeting of 1942 records that Owen Ludlow was posted as "missing". He had been taken to Macassar, in the Celebes - now known as Sulawesi, along with 1,500 other British, American, Dutch and New Zealand prisoners. Here he endured beatings, starvation, sickness and deprivation for three-and-a-half years. Around 36 per cent of the Macassar POWs died during captivity.

When the Japanese were defeated in August 1945, Owen was shipped back to Christchurch where he set about returning to normal life. He was discharged from naval service without any pension or psychiatric assistance. He resumed his job as a butcher and returned to play tenor horn in the band, but he never spoke of his horrendous experiences.

After a few years Owen quit butchery, and the band, but he remained a life-long rugby league fanatic. He became a publican and worked for some years in Mosgiel and Alexandra before returning to Christchurch where he worked in a number of other hotels.

Owen's family and friends gathered on Wednesday April 11 to pay tribute and to recall one of the forgotten heroes of the Second World War.

Grave Concern?

The Friends of Linwood Cemetery are a group of volunteers who advocate for the maintenance, restoration and preservation of Linwood Cemetery.

The group contacted us recently as they needed a bugler for an ANZAC service they were planning to commemorate service personnel interred at the cemetery. The email correspondence that ensued unearthed some interesting discoveries...

Hi Woolston Brass,

Whilst I was at your website I thought I would have a bit of a fossick and would like to let you know that we probably have three of your former band masters buried here:

George BONNINGTON (Block 5, Plot 2) Chemist and of Bonnington's Irish Moss fame.

Francis CRAZE died 28th February 1917 aged 67 years - He is buried in Block 36 Plot 341.

William Valentine SIDDALL died 1 November 1942 aged 85 years. He is buried in Block 15 Plot 193.

(A bugler was promised, and the Linwood Cemetery commemorative service will take place on Sunday 22nd April at 11am near the cemetery car park on Butterfield Avenue.)

Easter a Big Weekend for Ozzie (and Kiwi) Banders

Our thoughts turn to Melbourne as we send our best wishes to all bands competing in the 2012 Yamaha Australian Band Championships this Easter Weekend. The cross-ditch talent drain being what it is, we have a number of expatriot woolstonians fronting (in various guises) at this weekend's contest.

The Central Band of the Royal New Zealand Air Force ~ 75th Anniversary Concert Tour

The Central Band of the Royal New Zealand Air Force will present a concert at 2:00pm on Easter Monday, April 9, titled "The Air Force in Concert – New Zealand's Largest Symphonic Band"

The concert will be staged at the Air Force Museum, 45 Harvard Ave, Wigram. Tickets ( $15 / $5) are available at the Museum Shop

Ph: (03) 343 9544 for bookings

Free Parking on site!

Los Banda Woolstonos

Crusaders V Cheetahs 24 March. The Woolston Carnival Band, Caroline (photographer), Sarah, Emma, George, Mark, Sam and Akira entertained the spirited red and black crowd on a hot balmy night in the new AMI stadium, playing highlights of the evening were 'We will rock you' (with audience participation), 'Final Countdown' and of course 'We are the Champions'.

Sarah Hickman played the victory trumpet call throughout the night. The crowd responded positively every time!

Sunday Bandstand

This is what a Sunday afternoon in summer should be like! On a beautiful sunny day in the middle of March Woolston Junior Band and Concert Brass entertained picnickers on the Central Lawn of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens.

Players and supporters alike enjoyed the beautiful garden surroundings and the unexpected improvement in the weather. This was the band’s second performance this year as part of the Christchurch City Council's SummerTimes Sunday Bandstand programme.

One Time at Band Camp...

Young players from all three Woolston Bands joined other young musicians from 10 brass bands at Blue Skies campsite for a weekend of music making.

The Canterbury Brass Bands Association organized the youth camp and invited Nick Sharpe from the Nelson Vivace Youth Brass Band and Davey Boyes from Woolston to work with the players. Nick bough three young players with him from Nelson to join the fun. Davey coerced many senior Woolston Brass players to come out to the camp during the weekend tutor the young musicians.

The concert for parents on the Sunday afternoon showed just what could be achieved with intense rehearsal, little sleep, lots of food and a bit of training on the obstacle course.  Many thanks to CPPBA committee for organizing the event and for being onsite themselves for the whole weekend.

Woolstonian 51 (March 2012 Issue)

Available now. Click here to download your copy

Hope and Wire

Lyttelton Band, The Eastern have released their third album "Hope and Wire" which features Woolston Brass in the song Let 'em Know.
The song and the double album are available from itunes or from amplifier.co.nz
Physical copies can be brought from any record store. All digital royalties from Let 'em Know are being donated to Woolston Brass.

 

2012 Test Music Announced

The BANZ have announced the test music for the 2012 Timaru Contest:

A Grade: Breath of Souls: Paul Lovatt-Cooper
B Grade: Variations for Brass Band: R Vaughan Williams
C Grade: Triptych: Philip Sparke

SOLO TEST MUSIC 2012:
Eb Soprano Cornet Jenny Jones: W Rimmer
Bb Cornet Championship Prelude and Capriccio: E Gregson
Bb Cornet Amateur Song and Dance: Philip Sparke
Flugel HornFantaisie En Mi Be mol: C Saint-Saens
Tenor Horn At Hells Gate: Bertrand Moren
Baritone Anastasia: Helen Johnson
Euphonium Rustiques: E Bozza
Tenor Trombone Piece in E Flat minor: J Guy Ropartz
Bass Trombone Fancy Free: Clay Smith
Eb Bass Sonata No1 In F Benedetto: Marcello
Bb Bass Introduction and Allegro Spiritoso: Senaille

The Chief Adjudicator for the contest is Dr Robert Childs from Great Britain. Dr Childs last adjudicated in New Zealand at the Christchurch contest in 2004. This time he will bring his son David with him as his Assistant Adjudicator.

WMC Kerkrade Invitation

Woolston Brass has received an invitation to represent New Zealand at the
2013 World Music Concorse (WMC) being held in Kerkrade, the Netherlands. This is a tremendous honour for the band as invitations usually go to the National Band of New Zealand, which last won the event in 1985.

The World Music Concorse is held ever four years and brings together thousands of brass, percussion and woodwind musicians from around the world to compete in stage and marching events over a three-week period in July. Woolston Brass has been invited to compete in the brass band section, which will take place on the 6th and 7th of July. The band has also been invited to perform concerts before and after the contest.