Rob Hocking leading the Cambridge Brass Band.
Next month’s WaiBoP Brass Band Association Regional Contest will be hosted this year by Cambridge’s brass band.
The event has been running annually for well over 60 years.
“The Eastern Bay of Plenty and Hamilton bands are attending, and they are two of the top bands in the country,” the Cambridge band’s musical director, Rob Hocking said.
Registrations close at the end of the month and seven bands have entered so far for the event at Cambridge High School on September 23 and 24.
“We try to involve the school in brass band events as much as we can. We’re trying to bring music back to the community, especially brass music,” Hocking said.
The Cambridge Brass Band was founded in 1877 and competes in the regional contest on years that they feel they have the time – but most energy is devoted to contributing music to the Cambridge community.
“We focus mainly on community work, and we fit contests in between”.
This community work involves anything from public holidays, such as playing for Anzac Day and Armistice Day events, to interacting with schools in attempt to keep young people interested in brass music.
“We had a whole junior band made up of about 20 students from middle school, but they’re all grown up and have moved on now”, said Hocking.
This year’s event will see the introduction of an open percussion class.
“The calibre of percussionists in our district is exceptionally high so it makes sense for them to have a dedicated section to compete in,” Memorie Brooky, President of the WaiBoP Brass Band Association, said.
Brass bands have a unique sound, Hocking said. Each band has around 15 different instruments, and around 20-35 players.
- Sarah Morcom is a Wintec journalism student.
Cambridge Brass Band.
