Royal New Zealand Air Force Band To Perform In Wellington

The Royal New Zealand Air Force Band will present their first public Wellington concert of 2021 at 2pm on Sunday 16 May, at Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Centre.

Dances and Arias will see the band performing music from France, Scotland, Russia and elsewhere, arranged for a full 60-piece symphonic band.

The concert will include instrumental arias featuring soloists from within the band: Corporal Reuben Chin on saxophone, and Corporal Byron Newton and Leading Aircraftman Luke Spence on euphonium.

The concert is designed for classical music enthusiasts and those curious about classical music, with a varied, lively and accessible programme ranging from the mid-nineteenth century until today. Featured composers will include Jean Sibelius, Maurice Ravel, and Camille Saint-Saëns.

“We’re delighted to be back performing in Wellington, and in particular to show concertgoers here the versatility and expressiveness of this musical ensemble. This collection of dances and instrumental arias will transport audience members across the globe, and highlight some wonderfully enjoyable moments in the classical repertoire,” said the band’s music director, Flight Lieutenant David Gallaher MNZM.

Although Dances and Arias will be the band’s first public concert of the year in Wellington, they have had a busy start to 2021. In February, they completed a week-long tour of parts of Canterbury and Otago, performing to more than 2500 school students, and more than 1500 members of the general public.

More recently, they have also been present at numerous ceremonial and musical events in Wellington, including CubaDupa, the national commemoration services for Anzac Day, and the memorial service for HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

What: RNZAF Band Concert Dances and Arias

Where: Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Centre

When: Sunday 16 May

Time: 2pm

· Tickets available from eventbrite.co.nz or at the door.

About the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band

The Royal New Zealand Air Force Band has been a vital unit of the New Zealand Defence Force for more than 80 years. The band is made up of highly skilled reservists, with many also performing in other leading ensembles, ranging from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Wellington to Shapeshifter and the Rodger Fox Big Band.

The band maintains a regular schedule of ceremonial duties in Wellington, including parades to mark the arrival of international dignitaries and Anzac Day services. The band’s buglers also carried out daily Last Post ceremonies at the National War Memorial, commemorating 100 years since the First World War. They played over 1200 Last Posts from Anzac Day 2015 to Armistice Day 2018. Members of the band have also provided music at significant commemorations around the world, such as Turkey, Greece, France and Belgium.

The full-sized, 65-strong symphonic band tours to regions around New Zealand every year, as well as giving public concerts, performances in schools, coaching local music students, and hosting charity events. The band also divides into a range of smaller ensembles, including the popular Jazz Orchestra, a woodwind trio, a covers band, a clarinet quartet, and a range of brass ensembles. These groups are requested for a number of events throughout each year. There is also a growing catalogue of recordings of the band – the most recent releases, From the Silver Screen and Suites and Moods are now available on all digital outlets.

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