This Months Feature Band Member

Our feature musician is Cpl Russell Boyle, euphonium and trombonist extraordinaire. He has just returned from the NZ Brass Band Championships with the Open Bass trom title to his credit. Russell has been a member of the Central Band since 2005, but has a wealth of musical and banding experience, as you can read in his own words… I started playing cornet in the Waipawa District band in 1954 when I was 11, then followed on with cornet, baritone and eupho in the Waipukurau Municipal Band 1954 -1962.  Napier City Brass moved me onto trombone and then I have worked my way through numerous bands including Gisborne Civic, Christchurch Fire Brigade, Woolston Brass, Marton Municipal, Lower Hutt Municipal, now Hutt City Brass, which won the B Grade NZ championship last week!

 I have enjoyed also orchestral playing with the Wellington Regional Orchestra and Wellington Sinfonia for many years and now play in a range of amateur orchestras in the Wellington region.
My military banding has been in the NZ Army Band, the 1RNZIR Band in Singapore 1973-1982, and currently in RNZAF Central Band. I have also been lucky enough to be part of NZ National brass bands in ’70, ’74, ’78 and ’85 and also to have won the Open Bass Trombone, NZ title in ‘79, ‘84, ‘04, ’06 and 2011.

Russell has many hidden talents and a vast cauldron of knowledge, which those of you who have met him can attest to. Many do not know though that he is a very good guitarist, plays the mandolin and in fact was even a Mobil Song Quest finalist in a vocal duo in 1970.

He also loves and knows a lot about (in no particular order!) his children, classic and modern motorcycles and cars, NZ  rail history and steam locomotives in NZ. He was particularly enarmoured when on tour a couple of years ago, the Central Band had a last minute change from air to rail on its travel from Wellington to Auckland.