City To Host 2004 Festival Of Brass
Over 1000 brass band musicians will descend upon Christchurch in July. The 124th New Zealand Brass Band Championships,
last held in Christchurch in the Millennium year, has bands again flying in from as far away as Sydney to compete in
what is considered to be New Zealands oldest and largest annual music festival, dating back to 1880.
Sandra and Vicki
Dr. Bob Childs
The Brass Bands Association of New Zealand (BBANZ) is also delighted to announce that the Chief Adjudicator for the 2004
Festival of Brass will be Dr Robert Childs of Wales.
The 2004 Festival of Brass committee chairman Councillor David Cox says “we are especially pleased to confirm that
Besson Musical Instruments are to sponsor Dr Childs’ trip to New Zealand, his second trip down-under to New Zealand
after a memorable trip as guest with the National Youth Brass Band of New Zealand in 1998, also sponsored by Besson.”
Dr Childs will judge many of the high profile events including the Invitation Slow Melody, Besson Musical Instruments
Champion of Champions, all events for the A and B grade bands plus the popular Scenic Circle Hotels Band of the Year
entertainment competition. Another popular event is the Street March to be held on the morning of July 9th in central
Christchurch.
Speaking to Cr David Cox, Robert said, “I am particularly pleased to be returning to New Zealand where I made so many
friends in 1998. I know first hand that brass banding is taken very seriously there and I expect playing of the highest
calibre in all the main events”.
Dr Childs is well known as one of the two Childs Brothers Euphonium players with many recordings, ex principal euphonium
and deputy conductor of the world’s most famous band the Black Dyke Band and more recently as the Musical Director of
champion band Buy As You View Cory Band of Wales. He received a Doctorate in Music from The University of Salford last
year.