
Hot on the heels of their 2022 annual tour, the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band will present a free, late afternoon, outdoor picnic concert in Tawa at Grasslees Reserve. This will be an occasion organised by Tawa Rotary for all the family to enjoy great and varied music.
The RNZAF’s Concert Band will be playing music from the Americas (everything from Hollywood hits to South American rhythms) and their Jive Bombers covers band playing a selection of hits ranging from Stevie Wonder to Dua Lipa. Both bands will feature vocalists Barbara Graham and Stephanie Paris.
Tawa broadcaster, Jason Pine, will be master of ceremonies for what will be great family entertainment and a toe-tapping soundtrack to a relaxing Sunday afternoon.
There will also be performances by Tawa College music groups including a Kapa Haka group and Grace Notes barbershop quartet while Tū Mātau Ora will be offering traditional Māori games suitable for children and adults.
A sausage sizzle will be available to supplement the audience's BYO picnic basket.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force Band has been a vital unit of the New Zealand Defence Force for 85 years. The band is made up of highly skilled reservists, with many also performing in other leading ensembles including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington, Shapeshifter, and the Rodger Fox Big Band.
The band maintains a busy schedule of ceremonial duties in Wellington, including parades to mark the arrival of international dignitaries and Anzac Day services. Members of the band also provide music at significant commemorations around the world, with past occasions including Turkey, Greece, France and Belgium.