Horowhenua StarThe Levin and Districts Brass Band has come away from a national Festival Of Brass competition in Christchurch with a massive medal hall.
The band had seven first placings, five second placings and was crowned Champion C Grade Brass Band of New Zealand. It’s now tipped to enter B-Grade next year for the first time in its 125-year history.
Levin and Districts Brass president Chris Craddock says it’s an outstanding result of which the band and its travelling party of 44 members and supporters is extremely proud.
The Levin and Districts Brass Band at the Christchurch competition. Photo: Anna Louise Maas
The competition was the largest national brass band contest held in 30 years, with 37 bands competing, including five from Australia.
Levin won the Lloyd Edwin Thorne QSM Cup against 11 other bands in C grade.
It also won the Tom Taylor Memorial Shield, a trophy it had donated 25 years ago in honour of long time band conductor Tom Taylor QSM. It’s the first time in 25 years that Levin has won the shield.
The band placed second in both the Sacred Item and the Set Test piece before winning the Own Choice Selection, scoring 97 out of 100..
Band musical director David Maas won the most prestigious solo event of the contest, the Invitation Slow Melody, competing against New Zealand’s elite brass musicians. It’s the fourth time the supremely gifted musician and musical director has won the event. He also won the RNZAF Wigram Trophy as conductor of the Champion C Grade Band, a trophy originally donated by long-time member of Levin and Districts Brass, Myron (Blue) Caldwell, on behalf of RNZAF Wigram.
Chris says David is an inspirational leader, and being a piano tuner by trade meant he had an incredibly learned ear.
“He has inspired us and has us playing so well together – and in tune,” he says.
On the first day the band also won the small ensemble (for 3-5 players) and the large ensemble (6-12 players).
There were two second placings that day, too – the duet of horn players Kirstine White and Andrew Aitken in the section 2 Duet, and cornet player David Miller in the Masters’ Solo for age group 75-84 years.
The band had a pre-contest warm-up at Speldhurst Country Estate less than a week before leaving for Christchurch.
The 2026 event will be held in Wellington in April.
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