BAND CONTEST.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18070, 12 May 1924, Page 10

BAND CONTEST.

AWARD IN QUARTETTE COMPETITION. < 'ALLEGED "SECRET HISTORY." A statement A mide to a reporter on Saturday by Mr W. George' Brass, secretary of the Christchurch Band Conl- - relative to a paragraph which appeared, in Friday's issue of ' Th© Press" which reported certain remarks stated to have been made by th© bandmaster of the Grey mouth * Municipal Band relative to the award in the quartette competition and purporting to give tlie "secret history" of how tfie Greymouth Municipal Band ed of the prize. '•I was simply astonished to see the remarks attributed I .to the bandmaster of the Greymouth Municipal -band which appeared in Friday's issue of The Press,'" Mr Brass said, "more particularly so as Mr McMasters (the bandmaster) on the day following the decision in regard to the quartette competition .approached me and made a. complaint that the prize for the quartette had beein awarded to the wrong band," stating that the judge.had awarded the highest number of /narks to the quartette that had drawn 12th place'in the competition, .i The matter was fully explained to Mr McMasters, who appeared to be fully satisfied .with the explanation. . . - . "The whole position of the matter is: There were fifteen entrants for this competition and; the Greymouth Band's quartette 'drew 13th place;' the band which drew the sixth place' was scratched, and that fact is' recorded by the judge and initialled by nitri on the paper on which -would hav© been noted'(if the competitors who drew sixth place had competed) the marks awarded by th© judge." . ' The, paper was produced alid the reporter saw that M was marked as described by Mr Brass. When No. 6 was called and did not appear the supervigpr called out to the judge 'Scratched' and the judge noted the fact as already stated. Each of the bands following No. 6 kept its number according to the draw: in other words, No. 7 did not become No. 6. Wlierej the Greymouth" Band made-.the mistake (which we thought we had explained .to them satisfactorily) was that owing to No. 6 not; competing/ the Greymouth quartette (which had drawn No. 13) was the twelfth to play: but, as a matter of fact, No. 6 dropping out made no difference in the Greymouth Band's number, which still remained 13 on the judge'-8 sheet though it actually played, twelfth. . "In view of the fact that the contest is generally admitted to have been satisfactorily . conducted," said Mr Brass, "the committee resent the suggestion that there is any,, 'secret history' connected with it" Mr Brass added that the judge was being , communicated with; also that the documents relating to the award in the quartette competition are open for inspection by anyone interested.