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Young musician earns MP’s appreciation
Sunnynook girl Celine Wu – seen showing her skills on the cornet at Anzac Day last month – has won an MP’s award.
The eight-year-old musician impressed North Shore MP Simon Watts when she played the Last Post at Anzac parade in Devonport on 25 April.
“She’s a remarkable young person. She demonstrated remarkable confidence and is a talent to watch for the future,” he said.
After finding out Celine was also in North Shore Brass, he presented the precocious talent with a North Shore MP’s Certificate of Appreciation.
It recognised her community service at such a young age and was presented at an assembly at her Sunnynook Primary School last week.
The president of North Shore Brass, Owen Melhuish, said Celine was its youngest member. She had been playing for just over a year and had developed a sound and technique to the level where she could play in two of its bands, North Shore Youth Brass and North Shore Brass Community Band, the latter alongside her mother, Lisa.
The two bands have been going for 10 years and act as training grounds for brass and percussion musicians aspiring to a place in Auckland champion band North Shore Brass.
For Anzac Day, Celine was coached by Colin Clark, a professional musician in the Royal New Zealand Navy Band, who is also a player and life member of North Shore Brass.
“We are proud that she got to perform,” said Melhuish. Sounding
