OLD TIME BRASS BANDS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19970, 3 July 1930, Page 12

OLD TIME BRASS BANDS.

MR W. V. SIDDALL REMINISCENT. AN INTERESTING HISTORY. Sitting in the comfort of his armchair with the light shining on his silvering hair, and on his knees an immense scrap-book filled with clippings telling of the brave days of 1876 when, dressed in a uniform of scarlet decorated with silver lace, he marched at the head of the Invercargill 3arrison Band to the first band contest ever held in the Dominion, Mr W. V. Siddall grew reminiscent yesterday. The yellowing extracts from the newspapers of the day brought old memories back, and starting from the beginning of the band movement in New Zealand he traced its history right through to the present. To-day, although the blare of the brass rouses all the old longings, he has forsaken it for the routine of an office in Christchurch. "It was in 1876," he said, "that Captain W. E. Ileywood, then in command of the Southland and Lakes Volunteer districts, made the first move towards starting a band in New Zealand, and he took over the position of band sergeant for the 57th Regiment, or the 'Diehards' as they were better known, who were then stationed at Invercargill. I had just come out from England, having reached here by the Dunedin. 1 remember when I arrived in the town some of the bandsmen, and it was only a very small institution then, came along to tell me they were holding a concert that night and asking mo if 1 would come down and hear them. 1 did so, ana found they were not bad at all. The only thing thoy lacked was a leader, and before the night was out they had found a cornet for me and I finished the programme with them. "They only had a little music consisting of a few waltzes and a quadrille called 'Preloma.' This had five figures in it, and they used to take each of them and play it as a separate march. It was in 1877 when 1 reached the town, and the full strength of the band was 13. A Wild Trip. "There were no band contests in those days, but there used to be Volunteer reviews, and one of them being

set down for Easter, at Queenstown, the band was asked to go. Each of us had to find thirty shillings towards the cost of the trip. A contract had been Jet to convey us to Queenstown, and when we turned out it was found that about 300 of the Volunteers were going. We wore taken to Kingston in coaches but from there on there was no coach traffic and the contractor bad had to make the best arrangements he could. There were plenty of horses but a great shortage of vehicles, and he had commandeered every conceivable thing on wheels. Eventually we piled into them and away we went. There were no roads but only tracks, and on the way down to Eyre's creek the horses attached to three of the express waggons bolted and finished up in a smash. There was wild confusion for the time for many of the men were injured. Finally we made arrangements for them to be sent back, and started off again. "We arrived at Queenstown at midnight and started the concert for which we had been engaged right away. It lasted until two in the morning, but as there were no licensing restrictions and the hotel kept open all night that was no great hardship to a lot of young fellows. As a matter o* fact we played in the dining-room of Eichardt's Hotel, the doors being thrown open so that the crowd outside could hear the music and see the players. "Shortly after joining the band I was appointed to train some of the younger men, and gradually I took control. The next trip we made was to Dunedin. That was in 1877. We left Invercargill by I train, going as far as Clinton, but from there to BaJclutha we had to use the I coaches, picking up the train again at! the last-named place. By this time the band was about 25 strong, and we created quite a sensation when we played in the Octagon one Saturday afternoon. Viait to Christ church. "There were no more trips until 1880 when, dressed in our new uniforms of scarlet and silver, we came to Christchurch, where there was a Volunteer demonstration. I forgot to mention that the caps we wore were the round forage type, but these had feathers in them. "The first band contest ever held in the Dominion was that described in The Pbes> last Monday, when the winners were decided by the bands themselves after each had played. I notice by a cutting I have here that the real reason was not because we could not get a judge but because it was decided that we should all divide the prizemoney. Invercargill had the honour of winning. The second contest was held in Christchurch in 1882, in the old skating rink. Invercargill did not compete. ' 4 The same year one of our men issued a challenge, under the nom de plume of 'Robert le Diable/ for six players of the Invercargill Band to sight read any other six in New Zealand. The Oamaru Band accepted the challenge, but for the full band. We agreed, but they would not play in Dunedin, as we suggested. The matter was finally settled in 1883, when there was a review at Invercargill, and .Oamaru came down. The juuge was Mr Wishart, a former sergeant of tho 74th Highlanders. Oamaru won. "The next contest was in 1884, at Oamaru, in which we did not compete. This was won by the Christchurch Garrison Band, with Dunedin Naval Band and Kaikorai in the piaces. In 1885 we entered a competition in Wellington. Each band had to go and play there for a week, and we were not allowed more than twenty members, including the drumß. In this contest I played the solo cornet. The judge was Mr Mcintosh, and the set test was something he had composed himself. The result was: Oamaru, 568 points, 1; Invercargill, 565, 2; and Christchurch, 530, 8.

"In 1886 a contest was held at Oamaru, and this was the first occasion on .which the same set piece had to be played by each band. Herr Benno Scherek was the judge, and we won it, followed by Oamaru, and then Christ* church Stanmore Band. At that contest the first move was made to form a United Bands' Association. Out for Life. "Times were bad, and no more contests were held until 1890, when the Exhibition was run at Dunedin, The contest was won by Oamaru Naval Band, with Invercargill second, and Oamaru Garrison third. The next con* test was also at Dunedin in 1892, and this was the first ever held nnder the auspices of the Bands' Association. Oamaru Garrison Band were the winners. In 1893 we came to Christchurch, and won there, and on that occasion I was presented with the inscribed gold watch I carry now. "The year 1894 is one that I shall remember because it was then that X was put out for life. We had had a contest at Invercargill and duly won, followed by Kaikorai, Dunedin Naval, and Timaru Naval. A protest was ea-

tared that we had played a man who came from Tasmania, and could not therefore be considered as a bona fide member of our band. He was an ol pupil of mine, but that made no diflerunce. The matter reached the Courts, bat we lost out and never got the prize money. The curious thing was that at the same contest the first quick-step competition ever played in the Dominion was held. It was won by us, and we got the money for that all right. "Having been caught playing a 'ringer' we could not compete any more, but in 1896 I went up to Timaru, where Mr Anthony Grieve waß judge, and the contest was won by the Wellington Garlison Band with Invercargill City Guards second, and Kaikorai third. I put our ease before them all, and told them straight that all of them has played men they should not have dons. In the end they lifted the disqualification and we started playing again in the competitions." In 1897 Mr Siddall's band was offered a trip to Melbourne on the occasion of the Druids' Gala. They competed against 20 Australian bands, and came fourth. At the same time they brought home two of the three prize 3 offered for soloists. Mr J. Glennie won the cornet solo and Mr A. Ferguson the euphonium. . The roughest time he experienced was in Christchurch on Christmas Dfly> 1900, when, playing at Lancaster Parki the band had to face rain, snow, and wind. In 1902 he came to Woolston to take over the position of Town Clerk and naturally also took over the band. To Captain Heywood he gives the greatest of praise for the work he did in the early days, but he considers the eontests of modern times have been the means of bringing the standard of play up to what it is at the present moment. The first Bands' Association fell through about 1900, and then one was formed m the North Island, which was responsible for so many of the Sonth Island bands playing in contests there. Incidentally, Mr Siddall holds the proud honour of being the first fully commissioned officer to have been in eontrol of a band in tho Dominion. His commission was granted in 1891.