Japanese youth band to play in Levin
The Suzume Youth Band from Utsunomiya, Japan will be visiting Levin on Wednesday August 22.
They will play at the Salvation Army, 11 Durham Street, from 1.30pm. Entry by gold coin.
Suzume Youth Band (SYB) was formed in 1981 as a Britishstyled brass band in the city of Utsunomiya, Japan. It draws its members from elementary and junior schools in the city.
The conductor is Teruo Yabuuchi, who studied under trumpet and cornet professor Fujio Nakayama, and has trained SYB members at their schools in brass instruments.
SYB has a regular concert schedule, including an annual New Year concert and plays for community events. The band also has massed rehearsals and concerts with elementary school brass bands both in and out of Tochigi Prefecture.
The main purpose of SYB is to develop young musicians for their schools, and to also develop fine young people who live good lives.
SYB has associations with a number of international musicians and brass bands, having travelled internationally and also hosted groups that have visited Japan.
The band has visited Beijing in 1988, and the UK, playing in Manchester — the home of brass bands — and in Cardiff, the first from a Japanese brass band. The band has also visited the USA, performing concerts in four cities, the highlight of which was a charity concert at the famous Carnegie Hall in Manhattan, New York. They have also toured Australia.
SYB has hosted the Manukau City Band and were first introduced to The Salvation Army’s Wellington Citadel Band during the latter’s second tour to Japan, in 1985. During subsequent WCB visits to Utsunomiya in 2007 and 2013 the bands rekindled their friendship and shared in partnership concerts and master classes.
The band has 29 players — 27 brass and two percussion. The players are mostly aged from 13 to 22 years, with the youngest aged 11. The band is also supported by a number of alumni.
The Levin concert is part of the band’s first tour of New Zealand. Levin’s Corps Leader Chris Collings said he has heard the band play in several occasions. He said he had been very impressed and is delighted they will be visiting Levin.