Hamilton City Brass heading To Infinity & Beyond

Hamilton City Brass musical director Mason Elliot. Photo / Supplied

After the usual rhythm of the year was affected by Covid, and as so many musical groups worldwide are unable to perform, Hamilton City Brass is thrilled to be returning to the stage for its first public performance since lockdown,.

In early 2020 Hamilton City Brass welcomed Mason Elliot back in the role of musical director; however, since then a string of concerts and contests, both national and regional have been cancelled one-by-one as a result of the pandemic.

With the preparation for each event, the band continued to rehearse and making music together as Covid levels allowed.

The new concert To Infinity & Beyond tells the story of space – of galaxies far, far away, the dark side of the moon, new horizons, moon dances, music of the spheres, life on Mars, planets, shooting stars, other celestial bodies and then a gentle beautiful return to Kirikiriroa, Aotearoa.

The concert will present exciting music new to Hamilton with several brass band compositions that have not been performed in the city previously.

The programme includes several exciting compositions by contemporary English composer Paul Lovatt-Cooper – "Horizons" and "The Dark Side of the Moon" - and what space concert would be complete without "Also Sprach Zarathustra" which was famously used for the movie "2001 – A Space Odyssey".

The band welcomes guest vocalist Bryan Bevege to the stage to perform with them. Bryan is no stranger to Hamilton audiences and the band are looking forward to performing with him once again.

Mason Elliot featured on solo cornet with the National Band of New Zealand when they were recently in Hamilton for a near-sellout concert and workshop for brass and percussion musicians.

With a strong tradition of brass bands on both sides of the family, Mason began playing at age 7 in Hawera.

Since then he has played in many bands across Australasia and has an extensive history representing the New Zealand Brass Bands in a number of representative bands.

The 2020 National Band is Mason's seventh National Band and Mason says "I still feel the same honour as I felt when I was first selected in 1992 at the age of 17."

Join Hamilton City Brass in one of their favourite Hamilton venues with guest vocalist Bryan Bevege for a spectacular voyage of musical discovery through the cosmos and into the unknown.

To Infinity & Beyond with Hamilton City Brass

• Sunday 22 November 22, 2pm at Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts, University of Waikato, Knighton Road, Hamilton
• Adults $24 | Seniors $20 | Students with ID $12 | Child under 12 years $18 | Family (2 adults + 3 kids) $60. Tickets available at venue or here.