DOMINION BANDS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10337, 26 February 1925, Page 7

DOMINION BANDS

THE C GRADE TEST.

SOLO CORNET CHAMPIONSHIP. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, February 25. Six bands competed in the C grade contest. Results:— Ponsonby Boys' Band, 105 pts . 1 Bevonport United, iO3 pts . . 2 Birkenhead Municipal, 99 pts . 3 Te Aroha Municipal, 94 pts . . 4 Te Awamutu Municipal and Takapnna Municipal each 88 points, were lifth.

The judge, Mr Code, commented that the playing showed too many crudities, lie thought some of .the bands had been long in existence, and with more training much better results would be achieved. Side-drums.—T. G. Gee, Auckland Artillery, 89 pts, 1; C. Bell, Palmerston N. Municipal, 88 pts, 2. Bass Drum. —Southland Battalion, Invercargill, 83 pts, 1; T. Stevenson, Gisborne City, 82* pts, 2, Solo Cornet Championship. C. Hayes, Auckland Artillery, 96 pts, 1; 7F. Stevenson, Wellington Tramways, 94 pts, 2; A. Paxton (Malvern) 92 pts, R. B. Wills (Wpolston) 92 pts, tied for tiiiru place. The B Grade Contest.

The B grade contest last night was protracted, finishing at midnight. Twelve bands were engaged, and there were several close renderings.

Otago Artillery (Dunedhi) gave distinctive treatment, and provided an excellent playing combination. This band was second in the B grade at Ohristchurch in 1924.

New Plymouth Citizens was also a fine type of band, and Greymouth Battalion gave a commendable performance with excellent combination, but a little lacking in finish. Mr Code, judge of the B grade test selection, said that much of the playing was fairly even, and he had difficulty in separating several competitors. The standard had not quite reached what he expected. The test contained plenty of variety, and no outstanding difficulty, even for B grade bands. The playing in instances was of a high grade B standard. Only the bass trombone event was heard this morning, it was a fair selection. There was only one Canterbury performer, P. L. Collins, Timaru, whose, playing was fair. The event went to C. J. Aldridge, of Auckland Artillery, with 93 points out of a possible 100. The Cornet Players.

There were 62 entrants in the cornet championship, but about half of these withdrew. Among the early players were R. A. Long-Taylor (Taranaki Regiment), who was second to Hayes 'in the B flat cornet solo yesterday, W. Swivenson (Wellington Tramways, late of Greymouth), a winner at Christchureh last year, and Lieut. Osborne (Ashburton). Stevenson gave a wonderful exhibition of cornet playing the performance being practically flawless. Taylor was unfortunate in making two or three mis-hits in. the first few bars, and though he played tastefully he really never recovered rendering. K. B Wills, of Woolston, played about .the middle of the section, and gave a aood account of himself. A tew lip Failures will probably put him out ot court. A. Paxton, Malvern's solo cornetist, gave a, popular rendering, but his peculiar tone and style hardly pointed to success. H. J Osborne, of Ashburton, brother of W. H. Osborne, gave a nice rendering iof the solo. "■,','., rt » Twenty-fourth on the list wais C. A. Hayes, of Auckland Artillery, whose performance was quite outstanding, probably one of the finest ever heard in New Zealand. T. Goodall, bandmaster and conductor of the Wellington Tramways Band, an old West Coaster and ex-champion cornetist of the Dominion and Australia., also gave an outstanding performance. L. Bruce, a youthful member of the Woolston Band", who was second in the boys-' class at Christchurch last year, performed 1 very creditably, accuracy being a feature and style good. H F. Vincent (Queen Alexandra s Own), late of Chri.stchnrch, played twenty-ninth, and gave a fine rendering-