Review – Moving, stirring music – marking on Armistice Day

Armistice Day Concert

Dunedin RSA Choir and St Kilda Brass

Knox Church

Wednesday, November 11

After such a difficult “Covid year” for all music and sporting groups, Dunedin’s RSA Choir and A Grade band St Kilda Brass gave their first proper concerts of the year in Knox Church on Wednesday evening, with focus on Armistice Day – such an important date in world history.

Directed by Karen Knudsen and Shane Foster, with organist David Burchell, Johnny Mottershead at the piano and excellently compered by Scott Bezett, the large audience enjoyed a well-chosen programme of music, which began Eric Coates’ spine-tingling Dambusters March. This dynamilcally punctuated, forward-moving brass favourite was a perfect opener, then the choir responded with Sound Ye Trumpets gilded with trumpet obligato.

There many highlights, mostly with impressive solo passages by guest soloist University of Otago first-year performance vocal student, Alexander McAdam – I Vow to Thee My Country, Cohen’s Hallelujah and Bring Him Home from Les Miserables.

Brass items included an innovative arrangement of The Girl I Left Behind Me, Evening Hymn and Sunset with stunning legato blends and outstanding trumpet passages (Ioan Fuller), warm mellow tones for the thematic lyricism of Benedictus by Karl Jenkins and Battle of Britain March. Five cornet players delivering Leroy Anderson’s Buglers’ Holiday at top speed was a crowd favourite.

The choir dedicated a moving performance of The Lord’s Prayer to Colin Challis – their last World War 2 veteran choir member, who died earlier this year. A very significant Ceremony of Remembrance included reciting the Ode, Charge (Jenkins) and Last Post sounded by Shane Foster on a bugle handed down from his grandfater, who had played this vintage instrument at Somme during World War 1 – so special.

Anthem from Chess with McAdam confident and secure in solo highlights ended a really enjoyable feast of music with voices, brass, organ and piano in perfect combinations of music-making.

Elizabeth Bouman

Review taken from Otago Daily Times (13 November 2020)

First report: 2019 National Contest, Hamilton 8-12 July

After a 40 year gap the NZ Championships returned to Hamilton.  St Kilda Brass under the baton of Peter Adams were there too.

The band’s accommodation split over two motels was ‘interesting’, familiar to many of Hamilton’s emergency housing recipients, and perhaps unchanged since that 1979 contest. 

The contest as usual opened with the solo and party events.  Saints achieved a trio of 3rd placings: Kerry Wood (Amateur Cornet), Keenan Buchanan (Eb bass) and Tony Van Alphen (Bb bass).  After intensive rehearsals with Drum Major Kerry Wood the band were disappointed that the heavens opened just in time for the Friday Parade of Bands.

This was probably the best organised contest I’ve attended in my own 38 years of playing.  Held at the Claudelands Event Centre, the raised stage was (personally) a pleasure to play on – not too dry, not too bouncy, and provided no worries of proscenium arches and disappearing percussion and tubas.  The chief adjudicator seemed to hear all the notes, particularly any of the less than totally outstandingly beautiful ones.  The warm-up rooms and pre-performance spaces were magnificent, and marshalling personnel friendly and efficient.  Final results were at the wrong end of the placings, but not egregiously unfair in a large and difficult field.

Particular thanks due to Peter McHenry for his amazing organisational skills, assisting musicians Jamie Lawson (Footscray Yarraville) and Mark Close (APO), and our regular out-of-towners: Kerry Wood (Auckland), Keenan Buchanan (Palmerston North), and David Froom & Matthew Toomata (Christchurch).

Onwards to Christchurch 2021…

History collecting

We recently received a visit from Claire Clark of Wellington and Alister McKenzie of Christchurch. They were searching the band room for our photo of the 1903 New Zealand Representative Band selected to travel to England. They are related to John McKenzie the Bass Trombonist in the 1903 Band. John McKenzie was Claire’s great grandfather and Alister’s great uncle. Claire is researching the 1903 Band’s history and was thrilled to find a copy of one of their programmes for sale on the internet from a Swedish bookseller! The 1903 New Zealand Representative Band had 6 bandsmen with Dunedin roots: Edward Kerr, Solo cornet, Kaikorai Band; J. McKersey Solo horn, late Dunedin Navals Band; Arthur Jones, 2nd horn, North-east Valley; James Flint, 1st baritone, North East Valley Band; Robert Pettit, 1st trombone, Kaikorai Band; John McKenzie, Bass trombone, Dunedin Navals Band; and Claude Davis, BB flat bass, Kaikorai Band.

Claire would like to put together bios of each of the 26 bandsmen and the Conductor to recognise their place in history. She is also interested to find descendants of the bandsmen.  If you have any information please contact Claire at tandc.clark@outlook.com.

 

Blenheim National Contest – a recap

After a 4 year absence the SAINTS made a return to the national contesting stage to compete against eight other NZ bands and Darrebin from the West Island. Some members chose to fly, but most undertook the long (11 hour) journey by car or van on the Wednesday. Settling in, the Middle Park Motel was comfortable; challenging acoustics in our rehearsal venue were solved by the generosity of EBOP Brass in allowing us to share their church across the road.

Thursday: Sarah, Kerry, Jack, Logan and Keenan with Lee accompanying took part in the solo competitions. No-one (except Lee) was required to participate in Champion of Champions, but sterling performances all round.

Friday dawned fine and clear. The band marched 5 x 5 to a creditable 7th place behind Drum Major Matthew Dick. Light meals and resting saw a relaxed band reassemble for Draw 6 the Hymn (Reflections in Nature – Robert Redhead) and Test (39th Parallel – Peter Graham).

Saturday, Draw 7 the band played Philip Wilby’s Red Priest for the Own Choice Selection. Consistent judging over both sessions by Chief Adjudicator Russell Gray saw the band with a 7th overall placing. This was a good result, recognition of a worthy effort from such an inexperienced band.

Thanks are due to our out-of-towners – both professional and registered: Jamie Lawson (Footscray); the Invercargill contingent – Steve & Nina Gooding, Aaron Herman, Jack McKenzie and Matthew Dick; from the Wellington region – Erin Lee and Keenan Buchanan; from Christchurch – Dave Froom and  last but definitely not least ☺ Kerry Wood and Lee Martelli-Wood from Orcland.

Thanks also to van drivers Ian McCabe and Tony van Alphen, and Trish Gooding for assistance with victualling.
Special mention of course to the two Peters: the logistics whizz Pete McHenry without whom none of this would have been possible, and our conductor Peter Adams for his great personal and musical skills. PA is now taking a break from band to allow him to make best use of his University sabbatical. All the best Peter!