New Zealand Army Band

The New Zealand Army Band (Māori: Puoro Puoro Ngāti Tūmatauenga) is a brass band that primarily provides musical support for the New Zealand Army at all state and ceremonial occasions.[1] It was founded in 1964 by Captain James Donald Carson (1935–2008) of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.[2][3]

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

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.[4] The Campaign hat is also used as headgear for the band. 35-members strong, it includes a parade band, a concert band as well as rhythm sections and a vocalist.

The band sports an official newsletter entitled Espirit De Corps that generally publishes two articles a year.[5]

History

It was founded in 1964 by Captain James Donald Carson (1935–2008) of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.[2] At the time of its establishment, the number of army bands was reduced to seven, with the intention being that New Zealand Army Band would compensate that with a central band to represent the branch at all events.[6] Its conception was based around the fact that it was the first professional band in the New Zealand Military Forces. From 1965–1988, members of the Army Band were posted on a two-year cycle with the Band of the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, based originally at Terendak Camp in Malaysia. These biannual postings continued until December 1988, when the regimental band was disestablished and members returned to the New Zealand Army Band.[7] In 2012, it was one of three bands spared in the government cutback on military bands.[8]

Marching displays

Noted military tattoos has had the band travelling to Bremen, Germany; Basel, Switzerland; Nanchang, China; Wonju, South Korea and Edinburgh, Scotland.[1] During its visit to Scotland in 2018[9] for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the band was presented with the Pooley Sword after it was considered to be the greatest act of that year's show by other bands and the audience.[10][11] The band's first performance was a concert in Auckland in 1964.[12] The Army Band celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1984 with an American-style Big Band march down of Queen Street.[13] In August 1979, the band performed at the wedding services for their director Roger C. Carter.[14][15]

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. More recently, a Haka display group was attached to the band.[16]

Small ensembles[17]
  • The Swing Band
  • Dance Band
  • Jazz Combo
  • Brass Quintet
  • The Bavarian Band

Quick marches
TitleComposer / Arranger
Invercargill MarchAlex Lithgow
The Great Little ArmyKenneth J. Alford
Colonel BogeyKenneth J. Alford
The GarrisonCharles Trussell

Leadership

The current senior appointments within the band are:[1]

  • Director of Music – Major Graham Hickman DSD, FTCL, LTCL(T), Dip Man, Dip Applied Man, AIRMTNZ, AIMNZ.
  • Bandmaster – Staff Sergeant David Fiu LRSM
  • Drum Major – Staff Sergeant Patrick McCarthy ATCL, LTCL
  • Senior Instructor, School Of Music – Staff Sergeant Nick Johnson MA, PGCE, LRSM, LTCL, ALCM.
  • Senior Staff Composer/Arranger - Sergeant Riwai Hina

Honours

Captain James Donald Carson was named in the 1974 Queen's Birthday Honours, where he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire,[18] and in 1977 he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal.[19][3] The longest serving member of the band, WO1 Graeme Alexander Bremner (enlisted in 1965) was awarded the New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration in the 2014 New Year Honours.[20] In 2017, Major Graham Ross Hickman of the band was similarly awarded in the 2017 New Year Honours, for services to the New Zealand Defence Force and brass bands.[21]

Discography

The band has released the following CDs:[22]

  • On Parade (1974)
  • Entertainers Supreme (1976)
  • Brass To Go (1977)
  • Brass On The March (1979)
  • Chips And Other Tasty Goodies (1981)
  • Royal Wedding (1981) - AUS #49[23]
  • Conflict - Tunes Of Glory (1981)
  • An Album Of Two Halves (2001)

See also

References
  1. "Fact sheet" (PDF). www.army.mil.nz. 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  2. "New Zealand Army Band". NZ Army.
  3. "Bandmaster's world impact". The Press. 16 August 2008.
  4. "Mess Dress". New Zealand Army. New Zealand Government. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  5. "NZ Army - Espirit De Corps". Army.mil.nz. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  6. "2. – Brass and pipe bands – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand". Teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  7. "NZ Army - Army Band History". Army.mil.nz. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  8. [email protected] @isaac_davison, Isaac Davison Social Issues Reporter, NZ Herald (26 April 2012). "Scrapping of military bands a 'national scandal'" – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  9. ""Kia ora" - Edinburgh Tattoo confirms New Zealand acts for this year's line-up". Edintattoo.co.uk. 23 July 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  10. "NZ Army band wins top award at Edinburgh Tattoo - New Zealand Defence Force". Medium. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  11. "New Zealand acts confirmed for Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo | Edinburgh News". Edinburghnews.scotsman.com. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  12. "First city visit | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand". Natlib.govt.nz. 7 November 1966. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  13. "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.
  14. "Married - Gisborne Photo News - No 194 : August 12, 1970". Photonews.org.nz. 12 August 1970. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  15. Palmer, Geoffrey (November 2013). Reform: A Memoir - Geoffrey Palmer - Google Books. ISBN 9780864739605. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  16. Smith 2014b.
  17. "NZ Army - Bookings and Smaller Ensembles". Army.mil.nz. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  18. "No. 46312". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 16 June 1974. p. 6830.
  19. 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.
  20. "New Year honours list 2014". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  21. "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.
  22. "New Zealand Army Band | Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  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.
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