The Trusts Waitakere Brass gave a lesson in mastering a classic in the A section traditional contest at the Auckland Regional Band contest on Sunday 5 September at the Hawkins Centre in Papakura. Musical Director Steven Booth chose Rhapsody for Brass by New Zealand’s own Dean Goffin to challenge his players. “It’s a piece that requires focus, attention to detail and musicality,” Steven said.
Goffin’s Rhapsody for Brass, written in 1949, relies on musical simplicity in the precisely crafted rhythms and dynamic contrasts rather than the technical bravado of more modern works to test each seat in the band. The Band gave a solid and technically confident performance.
A solid improvement at the 2010 Nationals in Dunedin saw the Band lift to a credible fifth, and Steven wanted to ensure the Band continued to focus and build through choosing a very different piece for the local contest. “We are a versatile Band that is going from strength to strength,” Steven said as he held the Jim Carson Memorial trophy for the second year in a row, “and I look forward to continuing this positive momentum.”
The Band is now focussing on Jazz Mania, a cabaret style showcase at the Trusts Stadium on Sunday 14 November.