The New Zealand Army Band is a brass band that primarily provides musical support for the New Zealand Army at all state and ceremonial occasions. It was founded in 1964 by Captain James Donald Carson of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. It is based out of Burnham Camp, which is the largest army base on the South Island. Presently, the New Zealand Army Band and the Officer Cadet School are the only units of the New Zealand Army that employ scarlet tunics as part of their full dress uniforms. The Campaign hat is also used as headgear for the band. 35-members strong, it includes a parade band, a concert band as well as rhythm sections and a vocalist. The band sports an official newsletter entitled Espirit De Corps that generally publishes two articles a year.
History
It was founded in 1964 by Captain James Donald Carson of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. At the time of its establishment, the number of army bands was reduced to seven, with the intention being that New Zealand Army Band would compensate that with a central band to represent the branch at all events. Its conception was based around the fact that it was the first professional band in the New Zealand Military Forces. From 1965–1988, members of the Army Band were posted on a two-year cycle with the Band of the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, based originally at Terendak Camp in Malaysia. These biannual postings continued until December 1988, when the regimental band was disestablished and members returned to the New Zealand Army Band. In 2012, it was one of three bands spared in the government cutback on military bands.
Marching displays
Noted military tattoos has had the band travelling to Bremen, Germany; Basel, Switzerland; Nanchang, China; Wonju, South Korea and Edinburgh, Scotland. During its visit to Scotland in 2018 for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the band was presented with the Pooley Sword after it was considered to be the greatest act of that year's show by other bands and the audience. The band's first performance was a concert in Auckland in 1964. The Army Band celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1984 with an American-style Big Band march down of Queen Street. In August 1979, the band performed at the wedding services for their director Roger C. Carter. The drum major of the band uses a tewhatewha, a long-handled Māoriclub weapon in the shape of an axe, instead of a mace to give direction and keep time. More recently, a Haka display group was attached to the band.
Small ensembles
The Swing Band
Dance Band
Jazz Combo
Brass Quintet
The Bavarian Band
Quick marches
Title
Composer / Arranger
Invercargill March
Alex Lithgow
The Great Little Army
Kenneth J. Alford
Colonel Bogey
Kenneth J. Alford
The Garrison
Charles Trussell
Leadership
The current senior appointments within the band are:
Director of Music – Major Graham Hickman DSD, FTCL, LTCL, Dip Man, Dip Applied Man, AIRMTNZ, AIMNZ.
