NEWS

14 March 2019

WBB Announces Return of Musical Director David Bremner

Wellington Brass Band is delighted to announce that David Bremner has returned to the role of WBB Musical Director for 2019.

David Bremner will begin his tenure from the start our season for 2019 taking us on the ‘Town Hall Series’, and led us to the National Contest in Hamilton. With David returning to the band room, concertgoers can expect to hear some exciting work plus more exhilarating contest performances for another year!

WBB Executive Officer Leighton Roberts says: “David Bremner has been the leading band conductor in New Zealand over the last 5 year and we couldn't be more excited to welcome him back. Having already developed the band from the bottom of the B grade to the British Open we are expecting to kick off just where we left off, along with keeping up our contesting standard David will also be working on improving our concert calendar.

David Bremner is currently Principal Trombone of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Director of Education for the Brass Band Association of NZ, and Trustee for the NZ Brass Foundation, and past Music Director of the National Youth Brass Band of New Zealand.

Music Director David Bremner says: “I am excited to be back involved in Wellington Brass after a couple of years break. We have some great plans in the pipeline, and looking forward to an exciting year”

WBB Principal Cornet Toby Pringle says: performing under Dave is an immensely rewarding experience. The way he is able to take what is a hobby for most of the band, to the highest level of music making is incredible.

WBB are very excited to be working with David once again!

Read David’s bio here…

28 January 2019

Band Auditions and Vacancies

Wellington Brass Band will be holding auditions for all brass band instruments from late February and throughout March this year. If you our someone you know are interested, please contact byron@wellingtonbrass.net.nz for more information. Full-time and casual positions available.

Production and Archival Assistant - Hiring

We hope to have this position filled by the first rehearsal on the 13th of Feb.

This is a volunteer internship with an honorarium, up to 5 hours per week.

Order/purchase band parts if necessary, prepare copies for rehearsal and performance, ensure all
returned and close off any hire.

Ensure rehearsal programming is received from AMD by Monday of each week to enable music

prep and on stands by baton down

Arrange charts if and when required (additional grant to be found to cover arranging music)

Maintain and update the digital assets/collections in accordance with copyright

Required APRA reporting

Organise/preserve, and report production details eg. concert programs, production documents,
media reporting, photography/videography.

Catalogue, and label of audio recording- Rehearsal and produced.

Applications close Monday 4th Feb 2019.

Contact our band coordinator for more information and application

5 December 2018

Youth and Education Update

Coming up! we are looking forward to hosting our annual Buzzing Brass Prize Giving Concert with our Principal Euphonium Byron Newton on 9th December from 4pm in the WBB rehearsal rooms. Both our development bands will showcase their work, before participants present solo items to friends and family. The event will be adjudicated by past Musical Director and trombone extraordinaire David Bremner, who will offer valuable feedback to all.

Concert proceedings and performances are free to attend, all welcome!

The Wellington Brass Band family will conclude this event with refreshments and their yearly prizes, awards and “honours”.

David Bremner Steps Down

In 2006 David Bremner took over Wellington Brass, then a struggling B Grade band, and shaped it into Australasia’s top
brass band, accumulating four New Zealand A Grade titles in a row (equalling the record), doing ‘the double’ in 2015 (winning both the NZ and Australian National titles), and taking the band to the British Open Championships last year. is dramatic rise is arguably one of the greatest turnarounds in New Zealand banding history, and shows just what an inspiration Bremner has been to an organisation that was not historically a powerhouse in the contest arena.

Bremner has announced he will step down as conductor following this year’s National Contest in Wellington, where the
band will be a strong favourite to win a record-breaking h title in a row in front of a home audience. 

Following the resignation of long-serving Musical Director David Bremner, Wellington Brass is seeking an ambitious Musical Director to build on the band’s established reputation as an innovative and world class contest and concert brass band. 

Wellington Brass is New Zealand’s premier A Grade (Championship) band and is a highly respected cultural asset to the Wellington Region, serving the “coolest little capital in the world” for the past 110 years. In 2016 the band competed at the British Open and has plans to compete and perform overseas at the highest level on a regular basis. e band is young, highly driven, and has a formidable work ethic. All applicants should share these ideals and strive to take the band to even higher levels of performance. 

Appointment commencement is flexible, but would ideally occur in the rst half of 2017.
Further information and expressions of interest should be directed to the
Band Co-ordinator Byron Newton
(+64273502638 byron@wellingtonbrass.net.nz)
or the Band Manager Leighton Roberts
(+64211026741 bandmanager@wellingtonbrass.net.nz). 

Our Evening Post

'Our Evening Post' is the quarterly newsletter of Wellington Brass Band. Issues include the band's upcoming concerts and events, interviews, reports from the Wellington Brass Band community and a general assortment of quality band banter.

Its purpose is to be an informative and varied form of communication with friends of the band, our former members and to the wider public.