NEWCASTLE BAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 84, 9 April 1925, Page 7

NEWCASTLE BAND.

SPLENDID TONE AND ENSEMBLE. The Newcastle Steel Works Band gave its opening concert of a short season in the Town Hall last evening before a large and warmly demonstrative audience. The tone of the band is superb, ■ sounding over and over again like the notes of the foundation stops of a grand organ. The blend isremarkably fine, in broad harmony and cantilena a luscious and fascinating tone is secured. A wonderful ensemble is obtained, the performers play with that perfect smoothness and oneness of style and feeling as to leave nothing further to be desired. The intervals are attacked with remarkable unanimity and the periods are terminated in a style which beautifully features the varying cadences. Some splendid contrasts of tone were secured and exciting to a degree was the way the degrees of force were gradually piled on, until an overpowering volume of sound waa reached at the climax of the crescendos. The sforzandos were- strongly marked and as suddenly released as made. The whole performance glided as smoothly and effectively as though the music was being executed by one man on a myriadvoiced organ. The conductor, Mr. A. H. Baile, directed with authority and decision, which gives confidence to his musicians; he knows exactly what he want 3 and how to realise his intention. Altogether the concert was a memorable one and everybody left the hall highly praising the bandsmen. After the first two measures of Rimmer's "Honest Toil" march, the listeners knew at once that the success of the band was assured, and settled down for an evening's musical treat. As piece after piece was unfolded the audience grew in its fervour and enthusiastically encored each number. The march was given with splendid precision and dash. Rossini's famous overture to "Guillaume Tell" received a rousing delivery. The basses opened with a beautiful reading of the quintet part of the Andante, producing a beautifully round tone, delicately phrased and shaded, and musicianly in the syncopations. Xicely subdued was the announcement of the Allegro in semiquaver thirds, these sounding more like being executed by strings than brass instruments. With notable facility and purity of tone, the chromatic phrases in octave thirds, etc., were played and sudL intervals as trippling demisemiquavera were given with a lightness and legato delightful to follow. The dissonances and sforzandos were sounded with, splendid tone quality and the inner parts of sustained notes were rich in tone, making splendid fullness for the skipping notes of the lower and higher music. The beautiful Andante, with, duet between soprano and muted cornet was very cleverly made to imitate the original setting for flute and clarinet duo. The solo cornet gave with facility the 1 staccato demisemiquavers and triplets, whilst the accompaniments by the band was given with much taste. Surprising clearness, dexterity, vivacity, and speed were prominent features of the exciting reading given of the finale. The bandsmen moved along with a fine sense of rhythm, exhibited admirable contrasts of tone and rushed up and down the triads, scales, chromaticisms as easily as a sKilled violinist or organist surmounts these intricacies, i Great volume of applause was rewarded the bandsmen after this remarkable exhibition. Liszt's "Sixth Rhapsody," . "Nocturne Xo. 3," and E flat concerto - (arranged by Dr. Keighley) received ' a very fine performance, most of the music sounding as though played .on the diapasons and flutes of the organ with its deep pedal notes. Code's cornet solo, "Zelda," was brilliantly rendered by 3lr. Arthur Stender, whilst Mr. "Charles Dean scored a distinct success in Walling's "Laughing Trombone." Rimmer's arrangement of popular airs, 3 Kettelby's "Persian Market," and Mc- - Beath's "Toowoomba" greatly pleased. s A memorable concert closed with an inspiring and musicianly performance of parts of Tschaikowsky's Fourth and Fifth Symphony, piano and violin concerto, and finale to 1812 Overture. Tonight another concert will be given in i the same hall, and to-morrow afternoon I the band will play at Ellerslie and at , C'arlaw Park in the evening.