BOMBING WEEK - Royal New Zealand Air Force

More documents

Recommendations

Info

24 The Drum Corp (l-r SGT Tony Nicholas, CPL Stu Reynolds, CPL Jonno Alve, LAC Mike Edwards and LAC Dayle Jellyman). WHIPS UP A STORM The North Island’s beautiful East Coast was the backdrop for the Central Band of the RNZAF’s Annual Tour. From Tauranga to Tolaga Bay the band played to appreciative audiences as they entertained school students and adults alike. The Central Band’s Annual Tour entertains its provincial supporters and gives its territorial members a taste of whole time Service. The 60-member band, comprised entirely of Territorial Air Force (TAF), has three regular force personnel responsible for the tour’s planning and operation and the band’s annual schedule. Director of Music (DMUS), FLTLT Owen Clarke, Deputy Director of Music (DDMUS), F/S Grant Pitcher and Operations Co-ordinator, Mr Michael McGowan are the three wise men in charge in front and behind the scenes. This year was Grant’s fi rst tour with the band. Grant has just moved to Wellington from Base Woodbourne where he was the bandmaster for the Base band. It was also Michael’s last tour with the band as he is about to take up trumpet playing with the Royal Air Force Bands in the UK. The tour started with intensive rehearsals over the weekend of 10 -12 February at Base Ohakea. A little levity was introduced with each announcement of the ‘Daily Wally’ which was awarded to DMUS (for the curious incident of the van door in the day time), DDMUS (and his A new conductor for the band? Our appreciative young fans. ON THE EAST COAST WN 06-0107-13 stolen hat, later found hanging on a peg by the mess where he left it for breakfast) and a former DMUS (mysteriously locked out of his room with nothing but a towel and a bar of soap for company). Obviously absolute power does corrupt absolutely! A C-130 fl ight to Tauranga saw the tour kick off with an afternoon street march. The following day was an early pack-in to the Holy Trinity Church by the loading team. Early morning pack-ins and late night pack-outs were much the order of the day for the loading team, who did an amazing job getting the venues set up for the band. Most days we performed two school concerts and then in the evening a more formal public concert. It was obvious from the start that this was going to be a series of concerts enjoyed as much by the public as by the band. In Whakatane on Wednesday the band performed two concerts at Trident High School, as well as an evening concert in sweltering conditions. Thanks go to the local Beacon newspaper, thanks for their pictorial coverage. On Thursday we travelled around the cape to Ruatoria and performed a lunchtime concert in the hall at Ngata Memorial College. It is the fi rst time in its history that the Central Band had reached this part of the country and it was a huge local occasion made even more special by the spirited Powhiri the students from Ngata College gave the band. The passion of Alan and Matt in the thick of the action. WN 06-0107-01 WN 06-0107-06 FLTLT Owen Clarke, conducts in his sleep. AFN69 APRIL 06 www.airforce.mil.nz WN 06-0107-08 WN 06-0107-05
www.airforce.mil.nz WN 06-0107-03 this welcome, and the enthusiasm of the kids and public for the concert made it a highlight for the tour. That night they stayed at Iritekura Marae in Waipiro Bay. Again, the warmth and hospitality of those on the Marae was very special indeed. The next day they were off to Gisborne for more school concerts. Hundreds of kids of all ages packed into the huge gym at Ilminster Intermediate. They were soon on their feet bopping away to ‘Beyonce’s’ (aka LAC Ina Patisolo) Crazy in Love which led to a near riot when the audience swarmed over the band. Fortunately disaster was averted with a bit of crowd control and the concert came to a rousing end. A quick change of venue for the Gisborne War Memorial Theatre concert and the tour’s penultimate performance was underway. This concert was CPL Al Isdale, the power house of the band. Old Man Time of the band, SGT Ian Peters. WN 06-0107-11 AFN69, APRIL 06 WN 06-0107-02 WN 06-0107-12 WN 06-0107-04 WN 06-0107-10 raising money for the O-Kuri Marae in Tolaga Bay whose historic meeting house was damaged in the fl oods at the end of last year. On Saturday morning the band ran music workshops for local musicians. In the afternoon they returned to Tolaga Bay for their last evening concert. With a mixture of music from formal and school concerts the performance was a brilliant fi nale for the tour. Being able to give something back to a community that is often overlooked was a hugely satisfying reward for all the musicians. The Central Band has a busy schedule of performances coming up this year. If you want to fi nd out what all the fuss is about, make sure you get along to one. Details appear in the Air Force News and on the RNZAF web page. Compere LAC Kevin Keys, a picture of innocent fun. Displaying a variety of ‘style’, AC Matt Stenbo, CPL Alan Wright, Michael McGowan. Are you having fun? Yes we are, Mike and Dayle work the crowd “I think it shrank in the wash!” WN 06-0107-09 WN 06-0107-07 LAC Emma Richards, head and shoulders above the rest. 25 25
Page 1 and 2: V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E : W W
Page 3 and 4: OUR MISSION: To carry out military
Page 5 and 6: In last month’s Air Force News we
Page 7 and 8: AK 06-0065-11 TRAINING FOR AFGHANIS
Page 9 and 10: REFORMED NO. 6 SQUADRON MARCHES ON
Page 11 and 12: AK 06-0087-01 FORTY YEAR ANNIVERSAR
Page 13 and 14: - the Squadron also uses the leg fo
Page 15 and 16: the process before returning to Whe
Page 17 and 18: WN 06-0088-02 WN 06-0088-01 FLTLT J
Page 19 and 20: www.airforce.mil.nz AFN69, APRIL 06
Page 21 and 22: WN 06-0114-01 Adapting to change is
Page 23: own Copyright, RAF Museum* Flight L
Page 27 and 28: Heading to the start block in Auckl
Page 29 and 30: THE 50 MILE CHALLENGE On 11 March,
Page 31 and 32: OH 06-0066-39 OHAKEA’S INTERNATIO
Page 33 and 34: The Air Force on forward defence. T
Page 35 and 36: OH 060105-07 OHAKEA RUNS FOR OUR LI
Page 37 and 38: OH 06-0087-07 HERO’S FAMILY GET T
Page 39 and 40: NO. 9 SQN RAAF REUNION 3-4 June 200

BOMBING WEEK - Royal New Zealand Air Force

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?