Brisbane Excelsior Band will welcome back former Musical Director Howard Taylor for a special fund-raising concert next month.

It is in aid of the Tonga Relief Charity which is helping support the enormous efforts to push forward reconstruction in the country following the devastation brought by a huge 6.2 magnitude earthquake which hit the island in January this year.

Star performers

The former Australian National champion will join other star performers for the concert being held at Brisbane City Hall on 5th August. The Guest of Honour will be the Tongan High Commission to Australia, HRH Princess Angelika Latufulipeka Tuku'aho.

Tongan link

Band spokesperson, Scott Fixter told 4BR: "Howard has enjoyed a long term musical relationship with Tonga, and over the past seven years he has travelled annually to the Pacific island to conduct youth brass workshops, programmes, contests and established a Tongan National Youth Brass Band."

He added: "Brisbane Excelsior Band has also been supporting the Brisbane Tongan community brass band through combined concerts in recent years, so we are honoured to be asked to perform at this special event that strengthens the organisations relationship with the community."

Generous donation

The concert follows on from a generous donation made by Besson Musical Instruments through a partnership with the New Zealand Brass Band Association that saw a donation of over $60,000 worth of instruments to different schools on the Polynesian islands.