Kumeu Brass - Specialists in Parades, Concerts & Private Functions,
Traditional & Modern Music for all occasions.

Kumeu Brass Inc. PO Box 513, Kumeu, West Auckland, New Zealand.

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In The Papers - view our clippings...

June 2008

Congratulations to the Auxilliary Band, who won in two of their three pieces, but didn't earn enough points to win overall. And well played to the Senior Band, who performed well against a section full of C grade bands. And as usual, we swamped the solo sontest with numerous entries, many of whom carried off trophies. It's now a chance to recap and develop, and continue the progress for the coming months. We won't be competing in Christchurch, but we've already booked accomodation in Napier next year...

May 2008

Marc Nethercot adjudicated for our solo contest, which provided some great entertainment and a chance for many players to show off, young and old. Peter Whyte claimed the championship shield having won both the open slow and open non-slow sections. Many of the younger players are planning to compete in the ABA solo contest later in the month. We wish them well.

April 2008

The highlight of the month so far has been the joint concert with the Katikati Concert Band, held at BeesOnline on a very windy Sunday lunchtime. Fortunately we missed the main downpour by an hour or so, and valiantly held out for an hour and a half. Sarurday was far more comfortable, with a joint rehearsal and a communal meal at a nearby restaurant. The younger members followed this with an impromptu ice cream eating session on a nearby pavement and have subsequently formed the Order of the Cold Tub (and plastic teaspoon). The Katikati band enjoyed the whole event, and are considering inviting us for a return visit at some point.

The ANZAC parades at Swanson and Helensville went quite smoothly, and we made it to Helensville in good time after a much shortened service at Swanson. Peter Whyte started the day with the dawn parade. The early morning weather was chilly but calm and dry, but the parade warmed us up nicely. Swanson always seem to provide a suprise at the far end, last year it was a powhiri across our path, and this year a guard of honour to march through.

March 2008

An unusually crowded month. We began with a playout for the Mayoral Cycling Challenge at Orewa. Despite the rain (we weren't under cover) and the loudspeakers right behind us, we managed quite a reasonable performance, The roads were jammed with well over a thousand cyclists; it's hard to believe that the town has that many bicycles. The weather cleared for the ride, and all ended well.

The Kumeu Show, by comparison, was blazing hot! We played our usual four slots on the Sunday, with a wide variety of music, including (by popular request) the Floral Dance. It was the last chance for Brian Miller to conduct, and the first for our new conductor, Marc Nethercot. Marc has already begun work on our sound quality, and has certainly hit the ground running. Marc has much experience conducting and playing trombone in a number of bands in England and Australia (see his profile below). His partner Carolyn is leading the Auxiliary band. Brian Miller will resume his role as Assistant Conductor, baritone, librarian, painter and decorator and head of the barbecue.

This month has also seen the sad farefell of Ron Crean's wife Raewyn, with a small group from Kumeu and elsewhere accompanying the hymns. Ron has since rejoined the band on Bass Trombone, and the bass solos in the marches are certainly back on track.

Our next event will be an informal joint concert with the Katikati concert band. This will be on the morning of 13th April, venue to be decided.

Marc Nethercot

Marc has had a varied and very successful start for such a young musician.
 
Beginning in the youth ensemble of the Ratby Co-operative Band in Leicester, UK, Marc gradually worked his way up to their championship section senior band. During this time, he also played in the Wessex Youth Band Courses, winning a players award in his first year and gaining the principal trombone chair later on and holding it until retiring from the course in 2004.
 
After finishing school, Marc moved up to Huddersfield where he studied and achieved a Bachelors Degree in Music (Honours) and also a Masters Degree in Arts (Music). He was also lucky enough to have the opportunity during this time to play with some of the worlds great bands and players and to accept many professional engagements from Shakespeare to musical theatre and session work.
 
Marc was proud to be principal trombone of the championship section Yorkshire Co-op Brass Band, and the band enjoyed great success, taking prizes places in locations as diverse as Scotland and New Zealand.
 
In 2006 Marc travelled to Australia for a year, where the playing took a back seat and he turned his hand to conducting instead. In the ten months he was in charge of the Mornington Youth and Citizens Band the band saw a big change in it's fortunes, taking contest prizes for the first time in many years and sending representatives to solo competitions both local and national.
 
He is currently residing in Auckland, New Zealand, and is musical director of Kumeu Brass, a great community band.
 
Having played alongside musicians such as cornet legend Roger Webster, opera superstar Katherine Jenkins and even (then) world whistling champion David Morris, Marc has an extraordinary breadth of experience for a young pup on the brass music scene!

Carolyn Ramsbottom

Carolyn was introduced to music at a young age. When she was five years old she received a keyboard for Christmas and it was love at first play. During these early years she played keyboard, recorder, ocarina and clarinet! She only started playing cornet at the age of thirteen with the local Wetherby Silver Band and it was not long after that she moved onto flugel which she has played ever since.

Carolyn was accepted on the Music course at the University of Huddersfield following high school and flourished as a player under the tuition of the world famous cornet virtuoso Philip McCann. She gained her Bachelors Degree in Music with Honours in 2005 with a first-class grade in performance. In the same year she became the proud recipient of the prestigious Harry Mortimer Award given to the year's best brass student.

It was also during this time that Carolyn was a member of the Yorkshire Co-op Band where she enjoyed many successes in concerts and contests alike with the band and made her name as a prize winning soloist. She has performed and recorded solos internationally and has shown off her talents in many venues worldwide, including radio and television appearances.

Not only an accomplished performer, Carolyn is also skilled as an arranger. She has composed and arranged music for several ensembles, many of which have been featured on recordings, radio and professional events.

Carolyn continues to perform and delight audiences wherever she goes! She still has ambitions to perform around the world in the most famous and prestigous venues inluding the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall. She is living in Auckland, New Zealand and is covering principal cornet for the Trusts Waitakere Band.

One more thing: she ADORES dark chocolate!

Marc and Carolyn at the Kumeu Show