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 – 5pm

Sunday 6 September 2026

Auckland Town Hall

Queen Street, Auckland CBD

Tāwhiro Maxwell & Te Okeroa Huriwaka Waiata: ‘Tōku Reo Tōku Ohooho’
Orff        Carmina Burana: ‘O Fortuna’
Grieg     Peer Gynt: Morning Mood, In the Hall of the Mountain King and Homecoming

Sheet music will be available to download from 26 July. We'll send a notification to all who have registered once it's available.

• FOR ORCHESTRA:
  • Music is split into beginner, intermediate & advanced parts
  • These are the approximate grade levels for each part:
    • Beginner –  Grades 1 - 3
    • Intermediate – Grades 4 – 6
    • Advanced – Grade 7+
• FOR CHOIR
  • Soprano (S): The highest vocal line.
  • Alto (A): The second-highest harmony.
  • Tenor (T): The second-lowest harmony.
  • Bass (B): The foundational, lowest vocal part

FOR ORCHESTRA

• Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp (pedal), Harp (lever)
• Woodwind: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone), Recorder
• Brass: French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Bass Trombone, Baritone, Euphonium, Tuba
• Percussion: Timpani and full Percussion section

FOR CHOIR:

• Soprano (S): The highest vocal line.
• Alto (A): The second-highest harmony.
• Tenor (T): The second-lowest harmony.
• Bass (B): The foundational, lowest vocal part

• 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 on any streaming platform
• 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 can provide Phonak headsets with adjustable volume control (available upon request in advance)
• Wheelchair users are provided with designated spaces within the orchestra that are easier and safer to access
• 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: Workshop begins
5pm: Finish

More detailed schedule will be announced closer to the time.

A huge number of our participants are children at the beginning of their orchestral journeys.

Children aged 12 and under: parents/ guardians must remain on-site at all times and collect their child from their seat in the orchestra at the end of the event.

If you'd like to sit with your child (recommended only for children aged 8 and under), please contact so we can reserve you a seat.

• 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.

We'd love to hear from you!

Email us at