A concert to savour

This concert was a credit to conductor Simon Brew and to the 35 players with him on stage.

New Zealand Youth Symphonic Winds, Speirs Centre, Palmerston North, Thursday, July 19.

With the growth of music in New Zealand secondary schools, opportunities for students to participate at a national level have continued to increase. One such ensemble, the New Zealand Youth Symphonic Winds, now six years old and an initiative of the Concert Bands Association, features members from the length of the country, appearing in Palmerston North as part of an intensive winter workshop.

These young players performed with confidence and a sense of authority and understanding towards the intention of each piece.

Their programme ranged from Steven Reineke’s River of Life to a more contemporary work in style in Darius Neo’s Suite Francaise and John Williams’ ever popular Star Wars. The evening concluded with a marvellous selection of works that had been part of their repertoire for some time, but here performed with student conductors.

It was good to see the players take time to relax during such popular features as The Colours of the Wind, The Lion King or Star Trek, but the quality of their performance continued through. This concert was a credit to conductor Simon Brew and to the 35 players with him on stage.