Big Band festival thrown a lifeline

Big Band festival thrown a lifeline.

The Canterbury Community Trust has rescued its city's fourth Big Band Festival, after the Christchurch City Council shocked organisers by deciding to provide no funding at all.

A regular Labour Weekend attraction to Christchurch, the festival depends on significant financial backing.

Unique in New Zealand, it is run entirely by volunteers and priced to be accessible to all.

Despite council venues gaining income from some concerts and visitor-spending over the five days, the council this year withdrew its customary support abruptly and entirely.

The Community Trust stumped up just in time to save the festival from oblivion.
It is now back on track to be one of the best festivals ever.

While a number of jazz festivals feature big bands, this is the only dedicated big band festival in Australasia.

The full programme will be published during July and posted on wwwbigband.co.nz

Originally a local event, this year's festival features a dozen orchestras from New Zealand and Australia and celebrity guests from America, Bill Cunliffe and Bob Sheppard* . Pianist Cunliffe, himself a noted composer/arranger, toured Europe with Frank Sinatra as a young man; Sheppard, playing saxophone, clarinet and flute, has recorded countless jazz soundtracks for television and movies.
The programme features many opportunities for school musicians to workshop and perform with professional artists.

Musicians world-wide have been invited to submit original compositions and new arrangements of standards for big band performance, and already there has been strong interest shown from around the country and overseas.
Each competition is in two sections: open, which includes professionals, and high school and tertiary education students.

While there's no entry fee, eight generous prizes cover winner and runner-up in each category. First prize for each student section is a world-renowned Sibelius 6 professional notation software package, valued above $1000 plus cash. All section winners and runners-up will receive generous cash prizes and award certificates.

Writing complete scores for a seventeen-piece big band, whether in standard configuration or with vocals and instruments, is a considerable challenge and a skill that deserves nurturing.
Providing this opportunity for composers and arrangers to work in the big band field is intended to offer them recognition and foster the profile and versatility of big band music.

Computer Music Ltd has sponsored the competitions, conditions and entry forms for which are on www.bigband.co.nz. The winning entries will be performed during the festival.

This international competition has set New Zealand firmly on the big band orchestral map.

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