Te Awamutu Brass - New Zealand C Grade Marching Champions.
Te Awamutu Brass - New Zealand C Grade Marching Champions.
Te Awamutu Brass relished the opportunity to get back to a properly contested National Brass Band Championship, punching well above its weight against some of New Zealand’s best players.
Musical director Sarah Carroll says after 2021 was cancelled and last year’s event was truncated, the 2023 champs at Dunedin were a chance to shine.
And shine they did - winning the C Grade Marching title with stand-in drum major Fraser Robertson at the lead and finishing fourth overall from nine bands.
Sarah says longstanding drum major Alan Patterson was injured before the champs, so Fraser stood up.
Petty officer Fraser Robertson is a full-time musician with the Royal New Zealand Navy. He had already joined his sister Sarah and parents Michelle and Colin, who both play for Te Awamutu Brass, in the band for the nationals.
His military skills came to the fore when needed, so under the watchful eye of Alan, who attended practices along Te Awamutu College’s “main drag”, the marchers honed their skills.
The band started rehearsing for the nationals straight after Anzac Day duties, concentrating on the marching and three pieces - set piece, hymn and own Ccoice, being placed fourth, fourth and sixth respectively.
For the final six weeks, they doubled up on the weekly rehearsals.
Te Awamutu Brass musicians and Musical Director Sarah Carroll at the National Brass Band Championships in Dunedin.
Sarah says the hard work paid off and it was a great result considering a number of the C-grade bands are city-based and have more musicians to call on.
“We had been achieving midfield results for the past few years, so moving up to fourth is an improvement for us,” she says.
Te Awamutu had the full competition complement of 31 brass musicians and three percussionists, which included a few guest musicians, but Sarah says rehearsal numbers have stayed high since returning from Dunedin.
Acting Drum Major Fraser Robertson, who gives the commands from the front, and bass drummer Lora-Jane Elrick, who relays the instruction via her drumbeat.
The solo and ensemble events also delivered good results, especially as they are open events and most players are from A-grade bands.
Sarah teamed up with Mike Martin to be fifth from 14 entries in the open duet and Caleb Nicholson was also fifth, from nine entries, in the open solo Bb bass.
Te Awamutu Brass is now working towards the regional competition on September 24, this year to be held in Cambridge.
The regional competitions are more concert-based, with the band preparing serious, entertainment and solo pieces.
After that it will be time to prepare for Octoberfest events and then the Christmas season.
Dean Taylor is the editor of the Te Awamutu Courier and a community reporter with 35 years of experience.
