Community Bash FAQs

A FREE event for all musicians of any age and ability to come together to play a programme of music alongside Auckland Phil musicians!

2pm – 4.30pm

Sunday 8 September 2024

Auckland Town Hall

Queen Street, Auckland CBD

HOLST: The Planets Suite 

I. 'Mars, The Bringer of War'
Listen here!

IV. 'Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity'
Listen here!

KARL JENKINS: The Armed Man

VI. 'Hymn Before Action'
Listen here!

X. 'Agnus Dei'
Listen here!

• Sheet music is now available to download
• If you have already registered, we have emailed you the download link - if you can't find this in your inbox, please email and we will resend it to you
• If you haven’t registered yet, the download link will be emailed to you when you submit your registration on the website

Music is split into beginner, intermediate & advanced parts

These are the approximate grade levels for each part:

• Beginner –  Grades 1 - 4
• Intermediate – Grades 5 – 6
• Advanced – Grade 6+

Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp

Woodwind: Piccolo, flute, oboe, cor anglaise, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone

Brass: French Horn, Trumpet, Tenor Trombone, Bass Trombone, Tuba

Percussion: Timpani and full percussion section

If your instrument is not listed here – contact us at ! We might be able to sort something out for you!

• Your instrument! (orchestra only)
• A music stand (orchestra only)
• Sheet music
• A pencil
• Double Bass players: your own stool
• Percussion players: you may need to bring your own percussion (we will let you know in advance!)
• Bottle of water and a snack

• Practise your parts!
• Play or sing along with recordings via spotify, youtube or wherever you access music!
• If you’re having tuition, take your parts to your teacher so you’re extra prepared for the big day
• Encourage your friends and whānau to register or come and watch!

• Here’s the thing - the Community Bash is all about participation, not perfection! There is no pressure to play all the notes – we’d rather you enjoy the experience of playing with hundreds of other musicians, rather than worrying about getting every little bit right!
• If there are any parts or bars that you find too challenging, you can drop out of these sections and join back in with the sections you are able to play.
• We’ll have members from the Auckland Philharmonia playing in each section, who can help you if you lose your place in the music or need a little help!
• If you are playing an intermediate or advanced part, you can always go down to the beginner part if you find it more manageable.

• If you’re changing which difficulty level you’re playing, you do not need to notify us (e.g. advanced flute to beginner flute)
• If you are changing your instrument (e.g. flute to tuba), please let us know ()

• Auckland Philharmonia is committed to ensuring accessible and safe experiences for all participants.
• If you have not noted your accessibility needs in your registration form, please email us at
• For participants with audio sensitivity, we provide Phonak headsets with adjustable volume control (available upon request)
• Wheelchair users are provided with designated spaces within the orchestra that are easily accessible but not removed from the action!
• Companions – those who bring usually bring a companion to events are welcome to have their companion sit with them within the orchestra during the event
• For blind participants, we work with BLENNZ to create braille sheet music for the choir pieces
• For participants who have low vision, we can provide large print sheet music upon request
• We are always looking for ways to expand our accessibility measures – if you’d like to make any suggestions we’d love to hear from you. Email us at

1.30pm: Doors open for registration
2.00pm: Separate orchestra and choir rehearsals
2.45pm: Break
3.05pm: Orchestra and choir rehearse together
3.50pm: Break
4.10pm: Finale Performance!
4.30pm: Finish

• Yes they can! They are welcome to watch both the rehearsal and performance.
• There’s no need to book a ticket, they can simply turn up on the day.
• Be sure to invite your friends and whānau!
• The open rehearsals are 2pm – 4pm
• The finale performance is 4.10pm – 4.30pm

Registrations close 5pm Friday 23 August - although the sooner you register, the better! It helps us immensely with our planning to know who is coming.

We also have a maximum number of seats for each instrument (especially for popular ones like violin, cello and flute), so register now to avoid disappointment!

We'd love to hear from you!

Email us at