BANDSMEN'S COLUMN

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 38, 21 March 1914, Page 4

BANDSMEN'S COLUMN

Derry's Band gave a concert in the Linwood Park on Sunday. The opening march was played fairly well, but gather on the mechanical side. A little more freedom and spirit would have made it sound much better. The selection, "St. Paul," opened promisingly, n except that the intonation was slightly ] out. The cornet solo was very good, jfeut the accompaniments weve too 'f heavy. They lacked neatness, while > the intonation was faulty. Why the r sudden stop and tacet just prior to the .common time? The trombones had a ' poor quality of tone in this movement. "But the Lord is mindful, etc.," was indifferently interpreted. It was , too hurried, and the nuances were omitted, some of the parts being charae'terised by looseness and bad intonation, other solo taken by the cornet, yiras well given, and with a nice tone, though the production was not impeccable. The '/number, "Land of Hope and GlotyV" was not sufficiently dignified, and ' the chords were not sustained by the baud. Some of the instruments left the notes while others sustained, thus losing part of the chord. This had an undesirable effect. The R.A. Band showed how the song of Elgar's should be played. The solo cornet had a good tone, but lacked expression, and the tutti should be tempo rubato. The phrasing of cornet was also incorrect in certain -places. '' The Austrian Hymn Varie" was loose, both in attack and precision in some f«w bars, but on the whole this was a creditable performance. There were several fine portions of this lovely piece left out, the euphonium variation being one of them. By the way, I did not hear a euphonium all through the programme. The trombones were unsatisfactory. The two chorales by "Bach" were very fair, but somewhat cold and colourless, aiid the other items were .generally good. I should like to see this band wake up and put a little soul into th§ir playing. It would make a lot of difference. . "

LINWOOD BAND. • There is nothing to report or to .comment upon that has not already been mentioned in previous reports. I should like to see these instrumentalists settle down to good work at their rehearsals. STRAY NOTES. It was announced that a massed band performance would be heid in ,the Domain Gardens last Sunday, bjijjt it resolved "itself, into only one band, viz., the Lyttelton Marines, who turned up and played a programme on behalf of Mr P.-Sullivan, whoimet with a serious accident at Timaru some time back. The Petone Band are looking for a good cornet-player. Addington is to have a brass band. There attended at the Dickens Street

By "MAESTRO." Hall recently a number of influential gentlemen and Burgesses. It was unanimously decided to form a band. At the meeting, Mr,. H. Campbell (chairman) outlined the good work already done by the Burgesses' Association. Mr W. A. Sheldon, chairman of the Band Rotunda Committee, occupied the chair. About 19 players have already promised to join the baiid. The committee is as follows: Messrs J. Chegwin, Laurenson, F. Wilson, A. Pratt, .11. Woods, H. H. Lane, F. G. Bobbins, A. E. Snowball* D. M 'Cracken, D. Brown, T. J. Noonan, F. T. Musson, H. Allison, and W. A. Haydon. Mr Wilson Was appointed secretary, Bobbins treasurer," and Messrs M 'Cracken, Brown and Pratt a subcommittee to enrol honorary members and canvass the district. On account of the poor entry of B* grade bands in connection with the Temuka cycling, sports at, Easter, the quickstep contest has fallen through. Mr H. Fox, conductor of the Oamaru Band, is shortly returning to England. By the way, he wishes me *to state that he has the full band parts of the late Mr Edwin Swift's arrangement of "L'Etoile du Nord." This is a very fine work, but rather lengthy, taking some half-hour to perform. • Mr R. J. Estall, who went over to Greymouth to judge the quickstep contest held there on St. Patrick's Day, had a real good time. He considers the scenery on the coach route alone is sufficient to compensate anyone making the trip to the coast. The contest was a financial success. The gate receipts, amounted to about £l5O, which must "be considered very satisfactory. 1 Mr Estall's decision was as follows:—Grey Battalion 1, Reef ton 2, Brunner 3. Only three bands entered. It is interesting to note the winnefs have won this marching contest seven times • out of ten. -The bands are B grade, but there is talent amongst them. The Reefton Band 'has the finest soprano player in New 1 Zealand, young Stevenson. There are also; some good, cornet players there, and some good bass players, too. The bands, as a whole, are in need of good teachers—they are inclined to overblowing and bad intonation. Mr Estall had a very long day on 1 his return. He had >to go from the .train to the Victoria Square rotunda to conduct the Woolstbh. Band, which was playing a programmie there. There was a very large crowd Of people assembled to hear the band, and they were not slow to show their appreciation of the various items rendered. A brief criticism will riot be out of place here. The march, "Freedom's Fire;" was well played, and with good spirit. . The cornet solo, '' The Lost Chord,'' was ; not so good; the- soloist was lacking in style, his articulation faulty, and his phrasing not always correct. Much more warmth should, infused into this 1 to do it jus-

tiee. The band did their work well, but .the accompaniments were a little heavy. The Beethoven selection needs much more serious rehearsal. Portions of this were good, but the band seemed heavy and dull in most of the work. The " Adagio Cantabile,'' from the '' Sonata PathStique'' was hot a : good effort, the florid, parts for the horns were not clear, and the euphonium lacked expression—the whole -of this excerpt was far too laboured. The turn in the cadenza was not correct, and the episode itself was incorrectly conceived. The '' Marziale/' from the "No. 5 Symphonic" was a great improvement, but the 3rd cornets, horns, baritone, and trombones should - sustain more. There were several technical faults noticeable, and the nuances were "not brought out. This is a difficult piece, and needs to be thoroughly understood before a band can get the out of it. I mean that the men themselves must enter into the spirit of the music. The cornet solo from ' * Sonata, Op. 26'' was too mechanical. There was a lack of fluency and expression. This is a beautiful melody, but it was not well defined. The b'and accompaniments were all .well done in this. The "Cadenza'* was very fair. The opening of '' Symphonic No. 9" was very pleasingly played. "Adagio," from "Fidelio" was not to my liking—there* was Buch a lot from a musical point of view that was not heard. Tone, colour, phrasing, expression, arid niiances were .not portrayed. This class of music by Beethoven is by no means easy to interpret, and requires much, more rie-; hearsal to do it justice. The finale, an excerpt from "Symphonies No. 1," was much better, and on the whole was creditably played. In the euphonium solo,"Land of Hope and Glory," the effect was not so good. The piece, as a whole, went very well, but was lacking in dignity; " the decisive beats in the various parts were nos closeand compact, and .lacked a little in precision. The melody in places was inclined to too much sameness. This • piece should be" playcTd tekhpo rubato. The cornet polka '' Titania f' was cred- : itably; performed, but the to>ne of the soloist was riot clean; otherwise it< was very satisfactory. The grand march. ii St, .Vincent,'' was well done by all but more could be ,made of light and shade. The E flat bass solo, "Cyclops/ 1 ; was a real treat. This soloist playi ! without the v slightest effort; , the . torn for a bass is beautiful and liquid. It was played with good taste" and style and ;was exceptionally clean and fluent v The '' Imperator March' \ was also & good piece of ensemble playing, and brought to* a close an enjoyable concert. I must withold; my notes, re band adjudicators, etc., this week, on account of lack of space.