The New Zealand Brass Band Association has announced that the chief adjudicator for their 2017 National Championships to be held in Wellington between the 19th & 23rd April will be Nigel Seaman, the highly respected freelance conductor and Musical Consultant with the Cory Band.

NZ and Oz

Nigel is also the chief adjudicator for the 2017 Yamaha Australian National Band Championships being held in Launceston, Tasmania from 14th to 17th April.

Set works

Simon Dobson's 'Journey of the Lone Wolf' is set to test the top flight bands at the oldest National Brass Band Championship in the world. Each band will also perform an own-choice work and a sacred item.

The contest, which first took place in 1880, when the winner was decided by the audience, will also encompass three other senior sections as well as the prestigious solo competitions and popular street march.

Bands in the B Grade will have to perform Edward Gregson's 'Dances & Arias', with the C Grade contenders faced with 'Purcell Variations' by Kenneth Downie. The D Grade bands will perform ''Mid All the Traffic' by Leonard Ballantine.

Simon Dobson's 'Journey of the Lone Wolf' is set to test the top flight bands at the oldest National Brass Band Championship in the world4BR

National Youth tour

It was also announced that that National Youth Band of New Zealand training course and concert tour will take place in January, with concerts in New Plymouth, Whanganui, Palmerston North and Newtown, Wellington.