City To Host 2004 Festival Of Brass
City To Host 2004 Festival Of Brass
Over 1000 brass band musicians will descend upon Christchurch in July. The 124th New Zealand Brass Band Championships, last held in Christchurch in the Millennium year, has bands again flying in from as far away as Sydney to compete in what is considered to be New Zealands oldest and largest annual music festival, dating back to 1880.
Sandra and Vicki
Dr. Bob Childs
The Brass Bands Association of New Zealand (BBANZ) is also delighted to announce that the Chief Adjudicator for the 2004 Festival of Brass will be Dr Robert Childs of Wales.
The 2004 Festival of Brass committee chairman Councillor David Cox says “we are especially pleased to confirm that Besson Musical Instruments are to sponsor Dr Childs’ trip to New Zealand, his second trip down-under to New Zealand after a memorable trip as guest with the National Youth Brass Band of New Zealand in 1998, also sponsored by Besson.”
Dr Childs will judge many of the high profile events including the Invitation Slow Melody, Besson Musical Instruments Champion of Champions, all events for the A and B grade bands plus the popular Scenic Circle Hotels Band of the Year entertainment competition. Another popular event is the Street March to be held on the morning of July 9th in central Christchurch.
Speaking to Cr David Cox, Robert said, “I am particularly pleased to be returning to New Zealand where I made so many friends in 1998. I know first hand that brass banding is taken very seriously there and I expect playing of the highest calibre in all the main events”.
Dr Childs is well known as one of the two Childs
Brothers Euphonium players with many recordings, ex
principal euphonium and deputy conductor of the world’s most
famous band the Black Dyke Band and more recently as the
Musical Director of champion band Buy As You View Cory Band
of Wales. He received a Doctorate in Music from The
University of Salford last year.