Tonga unites young brass talent for historic debut performance

Tonga is uniting its finest young brass musicians for a landmark National Youth Brass Band performance.

The band will gather in Nukuʻalofa next week for three days of intensive rehearsals leading up to its debut concert.

David Bremner, the principal trombone of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and music director of champion ensemble Wellington Brass, will lead the initiative. Bremner has been travelling to Tonga for more than a decade, teaching in schools from Tongatapu to Vavaʻu.

“There’s something about Tongan brass, the energy, the dancing, the singing, that’s unlike anything else,” he tells John Pulu on PMN Tonga.

“One of the first times I was up in Mailefihi doing a concert, women were coming up and putting money on my head. I was trying to play my trombone, do the solo, while they were putting money down my top and I thought, ‘What is going on here?’, but it was just the most fun I've ever had.”

It’s estimated that nearly half of Tonga’s high school students can play a brass instrument. While there have been various youth national brass bands in the past, this is the first time a hand-picked group of the best performers has been assembled.

Cornet player Mele 'Uluheua is the only female member of the band. Photo/National Youth Band of Tonga 2025 Facebook page

Earlier this year, more than 60 young musicians auditioned by video, and just over 30 were selected for the final line-up. Bremner was joined in the selection process by Reverend ‘Eloni Niu, assistant music director and Samuel ‘Atiola Sam, head of music at Tupou Tertiary Institute, both of whom have studied and performed in New Zealand.

Tonga has a rich history of excellence in brass music. In July, the Tonga Police Band won the inaugural regional Police Band Tattoo in Papua New Guinea, and the Tupou College Brass Band made history at the 2024 National Brass Band Competitions in Auckland, winning the prestigious B Grade Championship Shield.

The project builds on Tonga’s deep-rooted brass tradition, which was celebrated in the 2023 film, Red, White and Brass, for which Wellington Brass recorded much of the soundtrack. “Every Tongan has that sound of brass in their ears, and when they hear it, it feels like home,” Bremner says.

A personal mission

Bremner’s connection to Tongan brass began in 2010 after he heard the Mailefihi College Band from Vava’u perform in Wellington. After a tragic bus accident involving the band, he travelled to Tonga to teach and perform, forging lasting ties with the community.

Recognising the abundance of brass bands in schools, churches, and community events across the islands, Bremner proposed forming a single ensemble of the best players under the age of 24. With support from the Tonga Brass Band Association, the idea has become a reality.

Bremner says the youth band is not only about music but also about building friendships and creating memories. His long-term goal is for the band to be run entirely by Tongans in Tonga. Fundraising efforts in New Zealand have ensured participation is free for the young musicians.

Dave Bremner speaking to school children in Tonga in 2023. Photo/RNZ

Bob Childs, esteemed conductor of the National Youth Band of Great Britain, congratulated Bremner in a social media post, calling it an “exciting step” for the Kingdom.

“There’s no doubt that National youth bands are fostering the future of music for any country and their music-making,” Childs says.

The National Youth Brass Band of Tonga will make its debut in Nukuʻalofa at 7pm on 22 August at Tonga High Stadium.

Watch David Bremner’s full interview below.