New Brighton Silver Band – Christchurch, New Zealand

This Christmas 2024 season was another busy one for the Band  with 16 concerts with 19 different time slots with some we are playing twice at the same location in our wonderful community.

Like other years the Band kicked it off with our annual Christmas Concert with The St Albans Community Choir this Sunday night at the beautiful St Paul’s Parish Church in Papanui.

The following Sunday (A beautiful sunny day) at St Aidan’s Community Day with a visit also from Santa. Ruth even court President Hill enjoying a ice cream before hand.

 The Band loves getting out in the community and bringing a little bit of joy – doing what Brass Bands do best spreading Christmas cheer in different locations around Christchurch.

The Band has once again had great support from New World Prestons and PAK’nSAVE Wainoni this Christmas, who have let the Band play outside their supermarkets and entertain their customers and our community. Thank you once again for your support this Christmas

Margaret was one of the founding members and the backbone of the Bands’ Supporters Club, which formed back in the late 1970’s and is still going today.

Margaret was the first secretary of the Supporters Club and still holds that position to this day – 45 + years in the job.

There have been numerous fundraisers Margaret has organized, run, and supported. The Band aways enjoys the Supporters Club AGM and ‘Margaret’s Minutes’, it is aways entertaining and well run.

The stories that Margaret and husband Errol, the Band’s Patron, have to tell always have us laughing. One story related to the Band’s trip to the Chatham Islands back in the day, with Margaret becoming the only Safe Air, Air Steward with a risque difference.

We again would like to thank Margaret for everything you do for the Band, and all the service you have given over your 60 years.

Mrs Miller, the Band wouldn’t be the same without you and you are our treasure.

We had the privilege of playing for the Champion Centre’s family fun day today at the beautiful Larcomb Vineyard.

The weather turned out great and the Band injoyed playing for this great event today

The Champion Centre is a fantastic organization which provides a range of services for children whose developmental progress is impacted by conditions such as Down syndrome, other genetic disorders, cerebral palsy, the consequences of prematurity, epilepsy, developmental dyspraxia, Autism Spectrum Disorder and brain injury.

This is one of the Bands values that we like to get out and support our wider community where can with the joy of music.

The band once again supported and participated in the CPBBA Contest and Solo’s St Margaret’s Collage.

This was Lachlan’s first Contest with the Band as the Musical Director, and he did a fantastic job prepping the band with help from Daniel, who was standing in for Lachlan while he was away with the NZ Army Band.

This year the Band was placed 2nd Overall, with a 2nd place in the Test piece, 2nd place in the Stage March, 2nd place Hymn, and 1st Place in the Entertainment.

Also over the weekend, we had 2 of our lovely ladies play in the Solo event. Vickie and Jenny both played in the C/ D Grade Slow and Variation Solo event with success from both.

Jenny & Vickie

Vickie won the slow melody with Jenny coming in 3rd and Vickie also won the Variation and made her the C / D Grade Champion.                                                                                                                                                                                               

Congratulations and welldone to you both the Band is very proud of you both.

Again, we would like to thank Lachlan and Daniel for the time and effort they put into getting the band contest ready.

The Band is now going to start working on getting ready for our next Concert, ‘Spring in the Rotunda’ on Saturday 20th October at the Bandsman’s Memorial Band Rotunda in the Christchurch Botanical Gardens.