The Tupou Tertiary Institute (TTI) School of Music achieved remarkable success at the 2024 NZ National Brass Band Championships, winning first place in both the Ensemble B Competition and the Open Ensemble B, Section 2.
Performing the Jubilee Overture, TTI Music Director, Save Mataele, and his talented team secured victory with an impressive 85 point lead followed by the Auckland City Brass with 82 points and the Hong Kong Brass Band in third place with 75 points.
The band added to the excitement on the third day of the competition when it joined the Street March event, although they were not part of the competing teams, led by one of the band members dressed in traditional clothing style of ancient Tonga .
Despite using borrowed instruments, according to a social media post by Rev. Dr. ‘Ungatea Kata, Director of TTI, the band’s resourcefulness and talent shone through highlighted by their first-place win.
To celebrate their success and to support their musical journey, TTI will host a concert on Friday, 19th July, at Lesieli Tonga Hall, Tuingapapai, Mangere, New Zealand, starting at 7:30 pm. The concert will feature the TTI School of Music orchestra and traditional Tongan cultural performances. Funds raised will go towards purchasing musical instruments for the students to take back to Tonga.
