On the 9th of May, 2025, Pakūranga College’s Concert Band got the rare opportunity to play with New Zealand’s best – the Royal New Zealand Navy Band.
We had been practising several pieces for this occasion, Journey, by Chief Ian Campbell, arranged by Robert Buckley. I’m Seventeen Come Sunday, a traditional English folk song arranged by Percy Grainger, and the fan favourite How To Train Your Dragon by John Powell, arranged by Sean O’Loughlin. Despite having only practised some of these pieces for a single term, we were able to get them to an excellent standard for our performance. The Royal Navy Band, despite having never practised these pieces, offered to play along with us, an offer we quickly accepted.
Once the Navy had arrived, we broke off into sections to practice our pieces with the Navy’s tutors. As Third Trombonist, I was in with the brass and percussion, set up in the school hall. We ran through all of our pieces before the rest of the band joined us for a full group rehearsal. The Navy also talked to us about their role in the community and what it’s like to be in the Navy Band, hopefully inspiring the next generation of musicians.
After our group rehearsal, we ended up having a break to have some pizza, fizzy drinks, and just talk to each other and to members of the Navy. Around this time, the audience was beginning to arrive.
We’ve had a Royal Navy Band since 1960, when the last of the British Royal Marine Bands left. My great-grandfather was a Royal Marine bugler during the Second World War, so it was rather nice to be able to play music with the successors of the Royal Marines. Suffice to say, the Marines left New Zealand in good hands, and the Navy Band definitely worthy of being known as some of the country’s best.
After we had our pizza, it was time to join the Navy for our performance. The rain had still refused to let up, but the audience was packed despite that. We played Journey, I’m Seventeen Come Sunday, and How to Train Your Dragon — in that order (always saving the best until last!). Our performance went rather well, and after it, the Pakūranga College students went and sat in the audience (some of us still with our instruments) and watched the Navy Band perform.
They started with one of my personal favourite marches, HM Jollies, a march dedicated to all service members of His Majesty’s Navy. Other pieces included solo trumpeters, clarinets, and a five-piece jazz band. The audience very clearly loved the Navy Band, and at the end, we were all clapping along to their official march, Heart of Oak.
Overall, the Navy Band put on an excellent show, and we learned a lot from them. I would definitely recommend going to see the Navy Band if you can, and you’ll definitely see the Pakūranga College Concert Band at some point in time. I know that the audience that was there loved it, so well done to all — both Pakūranga College and the country’s best, The Bands of the Royal New Zealand Navy!
Connor Hart, Year 10
