Whanaungatanga was written in October 2016 for New Zealand euphonium soloist Luke Spence.
Luke, like myself, comes from a family that has a history of dedication to the brass banding movement. Since the brass banding community in New Zealand is such a close network of musicians, it has been a huge honour to witness Luke grow as a musician over the years.

When writing Whanaungatanga, I wanted to not only showcase the wide musical range of the euphonium but also to put Luke’s spectacular technical and musical playing ability in the spotlight. The name of the piece defines what I believe brass banding is all about - shared experiences that bring people together.This title also ties in the Spence family’s Maori heritage.

Fraser Bremner, April 2017