In conjunction with Music Festivals and Events NZ, Feilding brass will commence the days’ live performances in both Marton and Feilding.
Saturday 7 October – Village Green Marton – Commencing at 11am
Sunday 8 October – Manchester Square Feilding – Commencing at 11am
Other groups performing include No Regrets; Uprising; Please Do Not Touch
This is a free community event. There will be a children’s bouncy castle and sausage sizzle
Today as part of NZ May Music Month, Feilding Brass performed in Manchester Square, Feilding under new Musical Director Iraja Max Haas da Silva (Max).
Max took over from Carissa just after Anzac Day 2023, and is proudly leading the band as we continue sharing our music with our community and beyond.
The band performed for about an hour as the opening act for Feildings May Music Month with pieces that included solos from our flugel, trombone and tenor horn players.
Compered by Carissa, the band pieces from Pinball Wizard, Fields of Gold to the more traditional brass band march Brass Royal.
The band looks forward to continuing its presence in the community and to entertain us all under Max. Welcome to the band.
Four Live Bands will Perform at Manchester Square for a Day of Free, Community Music – NZ’s May Music Month – Feilding
Get ready for an unforgettable day of live music at the NZ’s May Music Month, taking place on Sunday 28th May 2023 in Manchester Square from 11am to 4pm. This is a free community event part New Zealand’s May Music Month Celebration with a spectacular line up!
11am: The opening act of the day will be performed by Feilding Brass, a band with a remarkable 130-year history of serving the community. Recently, a new musical director named Iraja Max Haas da Silva (Max) has joined the band and will lead the performance. The band will play a mix of upbeat, popular music and traditional brass numbers.
See you there.
Feilding Brass Press Release:
New Musical Director Appointment for Feilding Brass
Feilding Brass has a history of over 130 years continuous presence in the community. For the first time in the collective memory of its present members, a new musical director has been appointed from outside its membership for many years, following a nationwide search.
On April 26th, Iraja Max Haas da Silva (Max) was welcomed to the podium after joining the band for its Anzac parades a day earlier. Originally from Brazil, Max and family have transferred to Feilding from Queenstown where he has worked as a music teacher and trumpeter in the local jazz orchestra.
Max grew up in a musical family, with his father being the leader of a military band. With over 20 years’ experience teaching brass a percussion Max has conducted and performed in a wide variety of music settings including Big Band Jazz, Marching Band and church worship bands.
The outgoing musical director, Carissa Davies has stepped down after 5 years leading the band (including through the Covid lockdowns) and is continuing as a playing member of the band. She remains active on the management committee.
Feilding Brass meet for weekly rehearsals on a Wednesday evening. After years of disruption due to Covid, the band is again enjoying and looking for opportunities to reconnect with the local community. Recently the band participated in 6 Anzac commemorations in the district; 4 Christmas parades and the community carols. In September the band will represent this district at the Central Districts Brass Band Contest.
Currently preparations are under way for the bands first performance under Max’s leadership on 28th May. Weather permitting the band will be playing from 11am in the square opposite the Feilding Cenotaph. The music repertoire will continue the Feilding Brass tradition of playing upbeat, popular music as well as more traditional brass numbers.
Max has noted, “Feilding Brass has a very good sound, but we are a little short on players. I intend to work to fill the vacancies that are still open (mainly the rhythm section) as well as offering technical support to everyone. With our committee, I’m another hand wanting to help and certainly this is a great time for us to welcome new members.“
Both the senior band and the training band have vacancies and offer opportunity to develop music skills and engage in a lifetime of music making. Connect with Feilding Brass via our Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/FeildingBrassBand/
Feilding Dawn Parade
25th of April each year sees Feilding Brass play at 3 Anzac Day services, Feilding, Sanson and Ashhurst. It is our chance to pay our respects to the fallen soldiers of Gallipoli and for defence personnel who still do their bit for our country serving in various parts of the world.
Sanson Service
Dan Griffith playing The Last Post in Ashhurst
The rain stayed away which is always a good thing, but it was a tad nippy this morning in Feilding at 6am and Sanson at 9am which gave us all cold fingers, but slowly warmed up by the afternoon in Ashhurst.
Ashhurst Civic Service
One difference in todays proceedings, was that cornet player Elizabeth Rance took the reigns and lead the band down the street in all 3 parades as Drum Major, while our usual man with the big stick, Stephen Lawton played cornet on the marches. Well, when I say played, I mean held the cornet and marched with vigour.
Well done Elizabeth.
We Will Remember Them.
March, saw Feilding Brass perform at Brass In The park in Levin, hosted by Levin & Districts Brass and luckily the weather played its part too.
The band played for around an hour and pieces included:
The band looks forward to next year and entertaining the crowd once more.
Sunday 12 February 2023, Feilding Brass did its first playout for the year at Explore Esplanade Day in Palmerston North. A most enjoyable morning of music.
Feilding Brass will be attending the dawn service at the Feilding Cenotaph as we pay our respects to the fallen. No marching this year in Feilding but it will still be just as special.
We Will Remember Them.
27th March 2022. Playing in our first gig of the year on a sunny Levin day at Brass In The Park hosted by Levin & Districts Brass. Other bands included Kapiti Brass, Brasso and Levin & Districts Brass. Good times doing what we all love to do.
After another year of covid disruptions, Feilding Brass held its end of year concert at the Feilding Salvation Army on Saturday 13 November 2021.
Under the leadership of Carissa Davies and with a lovely covid distanced audience, the band delighted the musical senses with Don’t Stop Me Now, Come On Eileen, Life on Mars and the hymn Colne amongst other pieces.
Our first soloist of the day was Andrew on Flugel playing Under The Boardwalk. Andrew is a fine player who plays in Levin & Districts Brass and has been coming to our rehearsals for a while, and we appreciate his support.
In between the senior band music, we had 3 members of our our training band band play a little solo each. They are Jonathan on cornet, Joanna on horn, Jasmine on cornet. Well done for coming along and playing for us all.
Being unable to compete in our regional contest this year, the band also played the hymn Colne, 2 movements from the Test piece A Malvern Suite and our street march music Victoria.
Our second soloist for the day was Annika, playing Tell Me On A Sunday. A beautiful piece played by our very talented Solo Horn player.
Earlier this year cornet player and ex conductor of Feilding Brass, Murray Coffey passed away. In remembrance of him, the band played a piece that Murray had donated to the band to perform at an upcoming contest. He donated the Salvation Army piece Meditation-Abide With Me, which was also played at his funeral and the band was fortunate to have his wife Val in the audience at our concert as we paid tribute to this true gentleman.
Near the end of our concert we came to a very special moment where we celebrated the huge achievement from our kit player/drum major/band president Stephen Lawton who has just celebrated 50 years of service to the brass band world. Including time spent with Trust Porrirua City Brass, Levin & Districts Brass and our very own Feilding Brass.
(From Dan’s speech) As drum major, Steve has consistently won award after award, for his drum major role and because of his discipline and teaching the band has also won awards for marching.
His drive and tenacity really helped us all switch on when it really mattered and to give our all.
Steve has been the band manager for a number of years, in fact I don’t think I have enough fingers and maybe toes to count on. He is currently the President of the band, and has been on the committee for.. well, I just couldn’t say…
As most of you may know by now, Steve shies away from the limelight .. or at least in the public he does .. At the band room I am sure he bases his behaviour on the animal from the Muppets if any of you here know what I am talking about… I think Steve has actually only been wrong once in his total of 50 years banding, and that was when he thought he made a mistake …
There is just so much I could say about Steve, but for now I want to acknowledge Steves achievement for 50 years in banding, but in some ways more importantly his service, and on a local level, to Feilding brass.
Steve receives his 50 year certificate from Feilding Brass musical director, Carissa Davies.
On behalf of Feilding Brass and all in the brass band world, congratulations Steve on your 50 years service. Here’s to 50 more.
Coming up: Feilding Brass looks forward to the silly season in the new traffic light system, with carols in Feilding square and the static Feilding Xmas parade.
The band would also like to thank our musical director Carissa Davies and the band committee for all the behind the scenes work they do to keep the band going during these covid times.
2022 is hopefully going to be an awesome year and we look forward to the new challenges that await us.
On behalf of the band, we would like to wish you all a very merry xmas and a wonderful new year.
Feilding Brass 