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Story: Brass and pipe bands

NZ Army Band at the Commonwealth Games, 1974

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The New Zealand Army Band performs at the opening ceremony of the 10th Commonwealth Games in Christchurch in January 1974. In the 2010s the band continued to perform at the opening ceremonies of many public events, along with appearances on more formal occasions such as Anzac Day. New Zealand military and brass bands built an international reputation for their skill at formation marching.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: Games 74. National Film Unit, 1974

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Peter Clayworth, Brass and pipe bands – Military bands, 1900 onwards, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/43244/nz-army-band-at-the-commonwealth-games-1974 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Peter Clayworth, published 4 November 2013.