Works for Brass Band and Wind Ensemble

had already visited the South Island with a school friend and her parents; back
at home, she kept talking about Geraldine—how funny that a settlement could
be called by a girl’s name! When we reached Geraldine, we were enchanted—
to the extent of looking in land agents’ windows (yes, I think there were more
than one), and imagining that we could sell up in Wellington and make our
home in that dreamy place! Was it because it seemed so remote from the cares
of everyday life, or just that the surroundings were all so beautiful we couldn’t
bear to leave it behind? Arrowtown was perfect—welcoming people; nice little
museum (probably huge now), good motel, all the autumnal colours burnishing
the view from all directions. We stayed two nights happily. 17
An example of Pruden’s enjoyment in observing landscape survives in a letter he wrote to
Penny during a later trip, which included a rail ride from Dunedin to Alexandra:
The weather was fine and sunny … and the first two hours were enthralling as
the first part of the journey is largely up the Taieri Gorge, which for grandeur
and scenery would be hard to surpass. It is like the Manawatu Gorge only
several times longer and much more thrilling, with great drops and viaducts
and mighty rock-faces. It climbs up to Middlemarch where the scenery changes
to dry and rocky with remarkable rock formations and outcrops—like a sort
of Arizona landscape. From there you pass on to the plateau which is known
locally as the Maniototo—a great plain which is normally a sheep-farming
district but at the moment is under the worst drought in sixty years. 18
The New Zealand Broadcasting Service for the earlier occasion of the first NZSO concert
at the opening season of the New Plymouth Festival of the Pines in 1958, commissioned
Festival Salute, Pruden’s only work for wind band. Born and raised in New Plymouth, Pruden
always remained attached to the province, his commitment leading him to compose Taranaki
Overture (in Volume 6B of this series), a classic meditation on the region. Correspondence
reveals that Eric Handbury, the Public Relations Officer for New Plymouth, had consulted
with Pruden’s mother about the commission. On 8 January 1958 Handbury wrote to Pruden:
As you may be aware, we are holding an Arts Festival from 25th February
to 4th March in New Plymouth to be known as the Festival of the Pines. The
National Orchestra is scheduled to appear on the open-air stage at Brooklands
on Monday and Tuesday, 3rd and 4th March. Just recently a copy of the
programme was sent to this office from the N.Z.B.S., and included a “Fanfare”
to precede the evening concert.
Although we have not as yet been in touch with the N.Z.B.S., we are taking the
liberty of asking you if you would be prepared to compose a special Festival
of the Pines Fanfare for that programme and assuming that this is acceptable
to you, we would get in touch with the N.Z.B.S. to obtain their required
permission. We would be very grateful if you would do this for us, combining as
it would, added publicity for the Festival and the inclusion in the programme
17 Pruden, P. Private correspondence, 5 June 2012.
18 Pruden, L. Private correspondence, 14 April 1976.
PEP08 – x