The New Zealand Brass Band Championships is one of the world’s oldest music competitions.
The first contest was held in the Christchurch Drill Hall on the 17th of April 1880 with an audience of 2500 people. Six bands competed, and the audience chose the winner – the Invercargill Garrison Band, under the command of Captain W.E. Heywood.
These days the national contest is held annually in July over five days and includes Junior and Open solo and Ensemble competitions, a Sacred Item/Hymn, Test selection and Own Choice selection for bands in each grade (A, B, C, D, and Youth), plus a Street March. The contest sometimes concludes with a gala concert or workshops.
Contest Results
2025 2 to 6 July
Festival of Brass at the Christchurch Town Hall complex. Contact Contest Administrator bbanzeo@gmail.com or contest committee chair Graham Hickman
festivalofbrassnz@gmail.com
2026
Wellington - dates to be announced
Contact Contest Administrator bbanzeo@gmail.com or contest committee chair Mike Sander mike.sander@tpl.co.nz
2024 National Championships
10 to 13 July
Pacific Festival of Brass at the Due Drop Centre, Manukau City, Auckland.
Contact: BBANZ Contest Administrator Helen Lee
bbanzeo@gmail.com
or Will Kingi, Festival Coordinator/Community Outreach, Pacific Festival of Brass 2024
021 289 6674 pacfestbrass@gmail.com
Test Music
A Grade: Whitsun Wakes by Michael Ball.
B Grade: Diversions on a Bass Theme by George Lloyd.
C Grade: Salford Sinfonietta by Darrol Barry.
D Grade: Nicaea by William Himes.
The Youth Grade is Own Choice music.
Eb Soprano Cornet: Escapade by Joesph Turrin
Championship Cornet: Wonderous Day by Erik Leidzen
Amateur Bb Cornet: Carnival of Venice arr. William Rimmer
Flugel Horn: Concertpiece No.2 Opus 12 by Vassily Brandt
Tenor Horn: (The) Piper ‘O Dundee by Kenneth Downie.
Baritone: Rangitoto by Goff Richards
Euphonium: Concertpiece No1 Opus 11 by Vassily Brandt
Tenor Trombone: Thoughts of Love by Arthur Pryor
Bass Trombone: Concerto in One Movement by Alexander Lebedev arr. Allen Ostrander (available from BBANZ)
Eb Bass: Fatherland by John Hartmann arr. L Blaauw.
BBb Bass: Arioso and Allegro by Joseph Hector Fiocco, arr. R Childs & P Wilby.
Saturday 11 May 2024: Contest entries close.
Wednesday 10 July: The contest starts with Junior, Under 15 and Masters solos, Open Ensembles, all Percussion events, the Junior Champion of Champions and the Invitation Slow Melody.
Thursday 11 July: Open solos, Junior Ensembles and Slow Melody and Open Champion of Champions.
Friday 12 July: The Street March. A, B and C Grade Sacred/Reflection Item and Test Piece and the Youth Grade band contest.
Saturday 13 July: A, B and C Grade Own Choice selection and the results. D Grade band contest.
