Children enjoy antics as band is bold as brass

Laurel Stowell | Tuesday, February 14, 2012 7:57

LOUD AND CLEAR: Members of the Central Band of the RNZAF play for 830 excited primary school children at the Royal Wanganui Opera House.PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY

The children were all agog as a policewoman brandishing a truncheon chased the cymbals player down the aisle.

The prank was part of a free concert for children put on by the Central Band of the RNZAF on Monday. The band is giving a series of concerts this week to celebrate its 75th anniversary. The week away was the highlight of the year for the 60 players, Flight Sergeant Spurdle said.

It was probably the highlight of the children's day too. They had demonstrations of the various instruments and theme tunes from movies and TV, as well as parades of players hamming it up. One even played the saxophone on a unicycle.

The children clapped along and little boys could be seen copying the drummers on centre stage.

The band is the biggest symphonic professional one in New Zealand, and its sounds come from bagpipes, singing, brass, woodwind instruments and percussion.

It plays a vast range of music, from Bach to Glenn Miller, and was on the opera house stage again that night in a moderately priced concert for adults.

It was based at Ohakea for two days, Flight Sergeant Spurdle said, while it played concerts in Palmerston North and Dannevirke. It then plays in Waipukurau and finishes the week of touring at Napier and Wairoa.

The band is usually based in Wellington, and plays at state ceremonies, including the opening of Parliament and military occasions. Many of its players are territorial soldiers and young students of the Wellington School of Music.