New Brighton Silver Band – Christchurch, New Zealand

As the header says, the Band thanked Craig Williamson at the Band’s last practice for all the work he has done this year. Craig has a group of beginners that he teaches at nights after he finishes work.

We have been lucky enough to have a couple of them join us in the Band for the Christmas Caroling practices, so hopefully they will join the Band next year.

Craig was appointed Band Master this year, and has also covered for Cam as Musical Director when Cam has been away with the NZ Army Band.

Thank you again Craig, you are a real asset to the Band.

Last Sunday the Band played the Carols and Reading Service at St Faiths Church New Brighton. It was the first time the Service had been held in the Church since 2010 because of earthquake damage. The repairs have made this beautiful old Church like new.

The tradition of the Band playing at this service goes back close on 50 years and is an unbroken chain.  After 2010, services were held in the Church Hall and the last two years with Covid active we have had an outdoor carol services and picnic.

It’s great to be back

The last practice of the year at New Brighton Silver Band has traditionally been a social gathering, drawing of the Christmas raffle and more recently, the acknowledgement of service to the band movement.  This year we are proud to honour 3 of our members for long and outstanding service.

Jim Hill  55-Year Service

They say D Grade bands are the nursery and the retirement home for Brass players! Well Jim started off in Geoff Butler’s Nursery, and 55 years on is knocking on the door to join the Band’s Senior Citizens.

Jim came from a musical family, and as a 9-year-old he expressed a strong interest in learning a musical instrument. It didn’t take his dad long to find a willing tutor in the form of Geoff Butler at the New Brighton Silver Band.  Jim began his musical career playing a cornet, but soon moved to tenor horn before settling on trombone, the instrument he still plays.

Geoff was also the band conductor and encouraged and challenged Jim to develop his playing ability and musical skills. He also had some great mentors, and under them he developed the finer points of Trombone playing.

Now Jim is the mentor and he spends many hours generously sharing his knowledge and experience with any player who needs help and encouragement.

In the mid 1980’s Jim became Drum Major, a role he loves and is well suited to. Under his care the Band has won three National Titles.

For many years Jim has been Bandmaster, taking over when the MD is unavailable and doing section practices etc as required. Always, with skill, style and a good tinge of humour.

Jim is a very active committee member and undertakes many tasks that fall under the radar. He is our band-rooms caretaker and every week ensures that the rooms are maintained to a high standard.

Jim is a Life Member of the Band and a Trustee.

Bill Grub. 47 Years Service

Bill likes to tell people he was born in Moscow during the first half of last century!! Like all good stories it has elements of truth about it. Bill was born in Moscow University Hospital, Idaho, U.S.A.

At age 9 Bill started learning Piano, an instrument that has been an integral part of his musical journey. As an 11 year old high school student he joined the Moscow School Marching Band and learnt to play a Trumpet. Marching Bands are a little different to Brass Bands, with over 200 musicians playing a wide range of instruments, as well as lots and lots of Cheerleaders. The Marching Band took part in many Inter State competitions and even some up into Canada. Bill was also a keen American Football player. Later he attended Moscow University and again joined the Marching band.

Bill met Wife Elizabeth at University, and after study they moved away and eventually settled in Timaru.  Bill played piano at a musical Review alongside a couple of musicians from the local Brass Band. Very soon Bill was playing cornet with Timaru Municipal Band ( now Alpine Energy). Being a skilled cornet player he was very valuable to the band and his expertise on piano was an added bonus as he became the Band accompanist.

For his services to Timaru Municipal and Alpine Energy Band Bill was made a Life Member.

In 2016 Bill and Elizabeth moved to Christchurch and met up with New Brighton Silver Band at a Botanical Gardens Concert. Bill has added strength to our back row cornets but more importantly his skill, experience and warm and friendly manner makes him a great mentor to our young players.

Bill has continued to accompany soloists and remains a keen piano/ organist at their local church. He is also an active member of the 50 Plus Brass Band.

Aaron Hannah  35 Years Service

Aaron is the last student to come out of the Geoff Butler nursery and comes to us as part of Geoff’s legacy to this band.

Aaron first heard a cornet in late 1986 when a Salvation Army Bandsman came to his school and played and talked to the class about it. From then he was hooked. Aaron’s Dad took him down to the New Brighton Band-rooms and talked to Geoff Butler. Geoff gave Aaron a cornet and told him to come back when he could get a sound out of it. In very short order raucous cornet noises shattered the peace of the family home, and Aaron’s Dad had a discussion with Geoff that suggested he should either teach Aaron or have the cornet back. Aaron therefore became the last pupil of Geoff’s long line of bandsmen and women. Aaron started in Feb 1987 in the Junior band and moved to the main band in 1990 playing cornet.

Aaron played in the Shirley Boys’ High Band under Merv Waters and later, Dave Gallagher, and joined the combined orchestra with Avonside Girls’ High School for their annual productions. He also helped out at Kaiapoi Band playing Rep and solo cornet.

Aaron does a huge amount of work for the Band. He is Custodian and looks after all the band’s assets. He administers our Facebook page and always adds a weekly supplement. Recently he has taken over care of the website as well. He is an active committee member and  also a Life Member of Band.

The Lads

November started with the great news that we had secured a Grant from Kiwi Gaming Foundation to replace one of the band room’s heat pumps.  We are extremely grateful to the Foundation for their support for this unexpected and unplanned expense. The new heat pump will be installed shortly.

On Sunday 13th November, we combined with our neighbouring Sumner Silver Band and presented a Remembrance Day Concert at the Bandsmen Memorial Bandstand in the Christchurch Botanical Gardens. A band of over forty strong presented a programme that recognized the very special significance of Remembrance Day and included a tribute to those Bandsmen to whom the Rotunda has been dedicated. Many of these men started their playing careers with Sumner and New Brighton Bands.

The weather was kind and a good crowd sat under the trees, listening to and enjoying the  nostalgic music of the war years.

On Sunday 27^th November we combined again with the St Albans Choir to present a Christmas Concert ‘Deck the Halls’ at St Paul’s Church in Papanui. We combine with the St Albans Choir at ANZAC Day, Mid-Winter and Christmas to present concerts, with each group doing two or three brackets and a combined sing along, often with the audience included. They are very popular and lots of fun.

The end of the band year means we can welcome some of our learners into the band ranks. Craig Williamson is a band tutor and he has brought three young students to join us for experience. A special welcome to Aila, Grover and George. They will be invited to join us over December when we have caroling bands out and about. Also, a big warm welcome to Katja, who has joined us from Holland. Katja is in Christchurch  for a year and is a very competent musician. She is a keen saxophonist but is equally at home with a trombone. It’s great to have her with us.

Masterclass. We were fortunate to have Mr. Kevin Hickman at our last practice. Kevin is a senior member of the NZ Army Band and is a New Zealand champion Cornet and Flugel horn player.  He took us through a range of exercises and techniques to improve note production, intonation and tonguing skills. We are in awe of his knowledge and skills and I am sure the band will take on board his advice.

On the weekend of 8^th and 9^th October the Band had a trip away.                                                                                The Band played at Lake Coleridge Village in the afternoon to a packed hall with a load of people out in the carpark – this went down very well. A beautiful Spring day for it too!

The Band had a Band Dinner at the Blue Pub on Saturday night with great food and loads of laughs, and played another free concert on a sunny Sunday morning to a great crowd outside the i-Site Methven.

The Band always loves getting out and about in different communities and sharing the love of music. It’s great to be out visiting the small town communities around the Canterbury region again, and being able to play some new upbeat music.

And what about our new shirts! This was the first outing for the shirts, with a lot of great comments and a new look – a little more relaxed than our blazers.

A big Thank You to our fantastic Supporter’s Club for the afternoon tea at Lake Coleridge, and to Ruth and Toni for the photos over the weekend. Thanks also to the band WAGs, family and friends who came along to support the band, and the fantastic locals who turned out to hear us play and gave us such a friendly welcome in Coleridge and Methven. A great time had by all!

Well as you will know by now we won the Canterbury Provincial D-Grade competition today. Thank you for all the work you have put in over the past few months which enabled us to get the result today.

 Some of the Happy Team

Craig retired at the end of last year as Musical Director.

Craig started in the Band 11 years ago, taking up the baton 10 years ago.

During this time, he has rebuilt the Band and taught and started new Junior members in the Band.

Craig has now taken up a Bb Bass playing alongside his wife Nadine, giving the Band another much-needed Bass player.

So once again, thank you, and congratulations Craig.

So far this year the Band has changed all its music, repainted the Band Hall, had a couple of playouts, and recorded / added 4 new songs to the Band’s repertoire – which is a first for the Band.

This was awarded to Jim Hill.

*Ginna Wall Trophy*

For Most Valuable Band Person. Selected by all active band members.

This was awarded to Grant Newby.