Nelson City Brass, under Musical Director Nigel Weeks QSM, took out the national B Grade title at the 2019 New Zealand
Brass Band Championships which finished in Hamilton on Saturday.
In only its second year in the B grade and following a close 2nd placing in 2018, the band competing against 9 other New
Zealand bands and one from Australia won all stage events for an emphatic win by 11 points overall to the next closest
band.
In addition to this the band had several members recognised for their performances in the stage events and a number who
won or gained placings in the solo events held earlier in the contest.
Successes included:
First in B grade hymn/reflective item
First in B grade test
First in B grade own choice
First in B grade aggregate
Jan Lewis - award for best soloist in the test piece
Steve Rudhall/Doug Couchman - award for best principal cornet in the own choice
Guro Klaave - winner Junior trombone solo
Josh Mansbridge - winner Junior Bb bass solo
Mike Ford - winner Masters solo
Doug Couchman - winner Amatuer cornet solo
Saul Gibney - second in Amateur cornet solo
Mike Ford - winner Tenor Horn solo
Ross Gerritsen - third in Baritone solo
Ken Bradley - second in Eb bass solo
Pauline Boyd was also awarded the Accompanist of the Year award.