New Zealand Army Band

New Zealand Army Band
Marching at the 2011 swearing-in of Sir Jerry Mateparae as Governor-General of New Zealand
Marching at the 2011 swearing-in of Sir Jerry Mateparae as Governor-General of New Zealand
Background information
OriginWellington, New Zealand
Genres
Years active1964; 62 years ago (1964)
Labels
  • K-tel
  • Universal Music Oy
  • Digital Distribution Serbia
  • Universal Music Digital Luxembourg
  • Universal Music France Digital Only
Websitehttps://web.archive.org/web/20190203235244/http://www.army.mil.nz/about-us/who-we-are/nz-army-band/

The New Zealand Army Band (Māori: Puoro Puoro Ngāti Tūmatauenga) is a premier brass ensemble that serves as the official musical representative of the New Zealand Army. Established in 1964 by Captain (later Major) James Carson MBE (1934–2008) of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.[1][2]

The band performs an extensive repertoire ranging from traditional military marches and ceremonial works to pop, rock, and jazz. Over its six-decade history, it has become one of New Zealand’s most respected and recognisable musical institutions, performing nationally and internationally as cultural ambassadors of the New Zealand Defence Force.

It is based out of Burnham Camp, which is the largest army base on the South Island. Presently, the New Zealand Army Band and the Officer Cadet School are the only units of the New Zealand Army that employ scarlet tunics as part of their full dress uniforms.[3] The black lemon squeezer hat is also used as headgear for the band. 36-members strong, it includes a parade band, a concert brass band as well as incorporating a rhythm section and vocalists.[citation needed]

The band sports an official newsletter entitled Espirit De Corps that generally publishes two articles a year.[4]

History

At the time of its establishment, the number of territorial and regional army bands was reduced from a larger network down to seven. The newly formed New Zealand Army Band was conceived as a central, full-time ensemble that would represent the entire New Zealand Army at state, ceremonial, and international occasions. It quickly became recognised for its precision, versatility, and high musical standards, embodying the spirit and discipline of the modern New Zealand soldier-musician.

From 1965 to 1988, band members undertook regular overseas service with the Band of the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (1 RNZIR). Based originally at Terendak Camp, Malaysia, this deployment followed a two-year rotation system, reflecting New Zealand’s continuing military and diplomatic presence in Southeast Asia. The soldiers of music not only supported military engagements but also served as cultural ambassadors, performing across Malaysia, Singapore, and other allied nations. These biannual postings continued until December 1988, when the regimental band was disestablished and its personnel were returned to the parent New Zealand Army Band.[5]

In 2012, the New Zealand Army Band was one of only three military bands spared during a government-led restructure and cost-cutting review of the Defence Force’s music services. Its survival reaffirmed the ensemble’s cultural significance and its continuing role as New Zealand’s premier military music ambassador.[6]

Marching displays

Noted military tattoos has had the band travelling to Edinburgh, Scotland; Basel, Switzerland; Bremen, Germany; Nanchang, China; Wonju, South Korea and many more.[7] During its visit to Scotland in 2018[8] for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the band was presented with the Pooley Sword after being voted by the cast as the most popular and highest-contributing ensemble of the show. They have since gone on to win the award on two further occasions..[9][10] The band's first performance was a concert in Auckland in 1964.[11] The Army Band celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1984 with an American-style Big Band march down Queen Street.[12][13][14]

The drum major of the band uses a tewhatewha, a long-handled Māori club weapon in the shape of an axe, instead of a mace to give direction and keep time.[15]

Ensembles

Source:[16]

  • Brass Band
  • Swing Band
  • Dance Covers Band
  • Brass Quintet
  • Secondline (New Orleans) Band

Quick marches

Title Composer / Arranger
Invercargill March Alex Lithgow
The Great Little Army Kenneth J. Alford
Colonel Bogey Kenneth J. Alford
The Garrison Charles Trussell

Leadership

The current senior appointments within the band are:[7]

  • Officer Commanding – Major Julie Richardson
  • Bandmaster – Staff Sergeant Nick Johnson MA, PGCE, LRSM, LTCL, ALCM.
  • Drum Major – Staff Sergeant Ross Yorkstone
  • Senior Staff Composer/Arranger – Sergeant Riwai Hina

Honours

Major James Donald Carson was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire,[17] in the 1974 Queen's Birthday Honours and received the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977.[18][2]

Warrant Officer Class One Graeme Alexander Bremner, the band’s longest-serving member having enlisted in 1965, was awarded the New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration in the 2014 New Year Honours.[19]

In 2017, Major Graham Ross Hickman was likewise recognised in the 2017 New Year Honours for his services to the New Zealand Defence Force and the brass band community.[20]

Other recipients of national honours include:

1978 R. A. Cowan BEM

1980 J. A. Elliot BEM

1982 G. H. P. Hanify MBE

1986 K. L. Jarrett MBE

1991 C. A. Campbell BEM

2000 T. H. Bremner MNZM

2006 K. A. J. Tremain QSM

2013 F. I. Levien QSM

2025 K. K. Green KSM

Discography

The band has released the following CDs:[21]

  • On Parade (1974)
  • Entertainers Supreme (1976)
  • Brass To Go (1977)
  • Star Brass (1978)[22]
  • Brass on the March (1979)
  • Chips and Other Tasty Goodies (1981)
  • Royal Wedding (1981) - AUS #49[23]
  • Conflict - Tunes Of Glory (1981)
  • Chameleon (1999)
  • An Album Of Two Halves (2001)

See also

References

  1. ^ "New Zealand Army Band, the band provides musical support for all state, military, and ceremonial occasions". NZ Army.
  2. ^ a b "Bandmaster's world impact". The Press. 16 August 2008.
  3. ^ "Mess Dress". New Zealand Army. New Zealand Government. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  4. ^ "NZ Army - Espirit De Corps". Army.mil.nz. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  5. ^ "NZ Army - Army Band History". Army.mil.nz. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  6. ^ isaac.davison@nzherald.co.nz @isaac_davison, Isaac Davison Social Issues Reporter, NZ Herald (26 April 2012). "Scrapping of military bands a 'national scandal'" – via www.nzherald.co.nz.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ a b "Fact sheet" (PDF). www.army.mil.nz. 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  8. ^ ""Kia ora" - Edinburgh Tattoo confirms New Zealand acts for this year's line-up". Edintattoo.co.uk. 23 July 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  9. ^ "NZ Army band wins top award at Edinburgh Tattoo - New Zealand Defence Force". Medium. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  10. ^ "New Zealand acts confirmed for Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo | Edinburgh News". Edinburghnews.scotsman.com. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  11. ^ "First city visit | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand". Natlib.govt.nz. 7 November 1966. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Band marches to lively tune | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand". Natlib.govt.nz. 6 April 1984. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  13. ^ "Married - Gisborne Photo News - No 194 : August 12, 1970". Photonews.org.nz. 12 August 1970. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  14. ^ Palmer, Geoffrey (November 2013). Reform: A Memoir - Geoffrey Palmer - Google Books. ISBN 9780864739605. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  15. ^ Smith, Valance (22 October 2014). "Kapa haka – Māori performing arts – Kapa haka in the 21st century". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 17 November 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  16. ^ "NZ Army - Bookings and Smaller Ensembles". Army.mil.nz. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  17. ^ "No. 46312". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 16 June 1974. p. 6830.
  18. ^ Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 92. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
  19. ^ "New Year honours list 2014". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  20. ^ "NEW YEAR HONOURS 2017 - CITATION FOR THE NEW ZEALAND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE DECORATION | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet". DPMC. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  21. ^ "New Zealand Army Band | Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  22. ^ "New Zealand Army Band – Star Brass". Discogs. 1978. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  23. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 215. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Army_Band