BAND MUSIC IN NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27913, 9 March 1956, Page 7

BAND MUSIC IN NEW ZEALAND

NATIONAL FILM UNIT PRODUCTION “The Press” Special Service WELLINGTON, March 8. The National Film Unit is making a documentary film on band music, and photography will be completed at the national brass bands championships in Invercargill this week. The unit’s manager (Mr G. Scott) said the film would tell the story of the development of brass band music in New Zealand, with particular emphasis on the brass bands of the junior schools. Most of the work was being shot in Timaru by Mr D. Wright, with Mr F. Chilton as director. In Timaru. as in many other towns in New Zealand, Mr Scott said, children at a primary school had their own brass band made up of instruments which had been given to the school. The children were specially encouraged to take an interest in learning some instrument and, with this early encouragement they grew into keen and competent members of the local band. Timaru had been chosen as the location for the film because it was handy to the National Film Unit’s Christchurch production team and because it was fairly handy to the championship venue at Invercargill. Mr Scott said he hoped the film would be completed in the next few weeks and that it would be released in the unit’s “Pictorial Parade” in April or May.