The KBB Music Festival is New Zealand’s largest regional music festival and is one of the largest band and orchestra events in the southern hemisphere. The combined Westlake schools are probably the largest stakeholders in the festival. Between Westlake Boys and Westlake Girls High Schools, a total of 11 groups were entered. The KBB Music Festival is seen as one of the apex events in the Westlake music department’s calendar and both schools have a long tradition of participation and success.
This year’s festival was held in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell from 17 to 22 August. Westlake Boys with nine entries, including two Concert Bands, two Jazz Bands, two Symphony Orchestras and three 
Chamber Orchestras. Westlake’s four premier groups – The Westlake Chamber Orchestra, Westlake Concert Band, Westlake Big Band and Westlake Symphony Orchestra, all received Gold awards, placing them all in the highest band of achievement at the Festival. The Westlake Symphony Orchestra received the award for the Most Outstanding Symphony Orchestra as well as Best Performance of a New Zealand work. The Westlake Boys Symphonic Band and Stage Band both received Bronze awards and Taharoto Orchestra and Conchordia Strings were presented with Commendation awards. Westlake Boys Camerata Strings gained a Silver award.
Three Westlake Groups were invited to perform in this year’s Gala Concerts: The Westlake Symphony Orchestra performed Suppe’s Pique Dame Overture and a portion of the Shostakovich arrangement of Tahiti Trot. The Westlake Concert Band performed Angels in the Architecture by Frank Ticheli with soprano soloist Michaela Cadwgan, and the Westlake Chamber Orchestra performed Vaughan William’s Variations on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, with year 13 student Arthur Close making his conducting debut. The Westlake Big Band were named first reserve to perform at the Gala Concert.
The annual KBB Music Festival is a hugely rewarding experience for all who take part in it. Students are given the opportunity to perform their prepared repertoire in a professional venue and in front of an audience of their peers who value and understand what it takes to bring this kind of music together.
Westlake Boys wishes to thank all staff who organise these groups: Mark Bennett, David Squire, Hayley Barker, Warwick Robinson, Fiona Rouse, Liz Cable, as well as WGHS music administrator Moira Clarke. These inspirational staff members are always challenging the accepted norms of what high school students are capable of achieving in instrumental ensembles.
Westlake Boys HOD Music, Warwick Robinson (administrator of the KBB Music Festival, along with his wife Miriam) is a firm believer in the value of music festivals. “The KBB Music Festival gives staff and students the impetus to strive for more each year. Awards are an integral part of the festival because they remind groups to focus on the holistic presentation of a piece of music – the adjudicators listen to all aspects of a performance including, technique, musicianship, presentation, ensemble and style. But the festival has other huge benefits, most specifically exposure; there are amazing things happening with Bands and Orchestras in music departments all over Auckland – putting these things on display for everyone to see can be inspiring, informing and encouraging for others.”
“I’m personally really proud of what our Westlake Students have achieved at the KBB Festival this year. We have an amazing bunch of student leaders, who have set a really good example for music leaders in years to come. There is also an incredible work-ethic amongst all players in the Westlake groups, which is one reason for our consistently high results.”
