Nelson City Brass Band came home victorious after placing first in the B grade at the annual NZ Brass Band Championship in Hamilton during the first week of the winter holidays.

This year is the second the band has competed in the B grade. Last year it placed second, half a point behind winners Whanganui. This year, however, it was an entirely different matter, with the Nelson band taking out first place in their grade by a whopping 11 point margin.

Year 12 Nayland student and second trombonist Natania Ngawhau said it was obvious to her that the band had improved a lot over that time. “When we played on stage, when we came off, we all knew that that was a really good performance and we were all really buzzing from it,” she said.

The band has a solid Nayland connection. It is directed by head of music Nigel Weeks and, as well as Natania, features student Douglas Clark on tenor horn. attendance officer Carrie Wilson on first tenor horn, principal Daniel Wilson on first trombone, and learning assistant Sacheus Holloway-Jones on soprano saxophone.

Former international student and trombonist Guro Kvaale took part in the championship before heading home to Norway and  she also placed first individually in the junior trombone section. 

 “I was very proud of Guro for winning the junior trombone and our B flat bass player, Josh [from Nelson College], he came fourth in the tuba. So they both got to play in the Junior Champion of Champions,” Natania said.

Musical director Nigel Weeks is understandably chuffed. “The band worked really hard and obviously I’m really pleased to come away with such a huge accolade, because we did win with a convincing lead,” he said. “It’s a marvellous success.”