Moffat, KirstineLodge, MartinFletcher, Olivia2025-12-032025-12-032025https://hdl.handle.net/10289/17802Orchestral music in the Waikato has a long and rich history, although to date there has been little exploration of this. Indeed, research about musical growth and development in New Zealand is sparse and fragmented in terms of both time and geography. By focusing on a particular region that has yet to receive any attention, the thesis aims to redress this gap and also make a wider contribution to understandings of the transportation to and development of western music in New Zealand. In tracing the growth of an orchestral tradition in this region the thesis places this musical evolution within the context of a developing settler society that valued community music making as both a form of community cohesion and a valuable means of local fund raising and entertainment. In considering the development of orchestral music in the Waikato, the thesis is divided into two main parts, treating each as a case study but also drawing on the methodologies of ethnomusicology, history from below, microhistory, and oral history. Part One is devoted to the years 1864-1914 and in analysing this foundational period of musical development considers a large geographical area enclosed by Huntly, Raglan, Te Awamutu and Te Aroha. Part Two provides a detailed examination of one specific orchestra and community, the Te Aroha-Morrinsville Community Orchestra (TAMCO) which began as an idea in 1974 and continued for thirty years. Each part of the thesis draws on a range of archival materials. Part One relies on extensive use of Papers Past (1), as well as resources from local museums and Archives New Zealand. In contrast, the case study of TAMCO has myriad sources, including interviews with key figures, photographs, recordings, and minute books, and is used to test the hypotheses generated in the first half. While each part of the thesis is distinct, there are also similarities and connections, with the case study of TAMCO confirming many of the findings of Part One. My findings all lead to the conclusion that in order for an orchestra to develop and flourish over several years it requires a locally respected charismatic person as leader, generally but not always the conductor, supported by a team of volunteers convinced of the importance and value of the enterprise. Beyond this the orchestra needs to be relevant to its community, who then support it. This could be relevance in terms of fundraising for a specific cause, or from programming music that is accessible and relevant to that local audience. In this way the orchestra becomes an integral part of the community. By focusing on one region through the lens of two case studies, a nuanced and layered understanding of the development of orchestral music in the Waikato is revealed, an understanding that has parallels with other community musical groups in New Zealand and other settler societies. (1) Papers Past is a resource from digitised newspapers and magazines published in New Zealand from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.enAll items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.Thesis