PIPE BANDS

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26362, 5 March 1951, Page 8

PIPE BANDS

DOMINION CONTEST ENDS CHRISTCHURCH BANDS WIN TITLES Christchurch had a double victory at the New Zealand pipe bands’ championships. which concluded in Christchurch yesterday. The A grade championship, calculated on quickstep and test selection, went to the. City of Christchurch Highland Pipe Band, which has taken the title on several occasions, and in the B grade secuon St Andrew’s College won for the nrst time. . , . . The plßcings in the championship aggregate were: t v A Grade: City of Christchurch (523.59 points), 1;' City of Wellington (516.755 points), 2; Manawatu Scottish Society (516.685 points), 3; Dunedin Highland (514.91 points), 4; Invercargill Caledonian (513.340 points), 5; Timaru Highland (512.485 points), 6; Burns Highland (508.85 points), 7; Ruahine Highland (507.025 points) 8; Wanganui Highland (505.8"0 points), 9; Hawera Highland (486.455 points), 10. B Grade: St. Andrews College 1, Ashburton Scottish Society 2, Hawke’s Bay Scottish 3, Canterbury Caledonian Society 4. About 15.000 people saw the concluding events of the contest at Lancaster Park yesterday. A feature of the programme was the massed bands’ display, in which the tartans of about. 600 bandsmen and 28 different bands flashed in the bright sunshine to form one of the most striking martial spectacles seen in Christchurch for many a day. Before this display the champion St. Andrew’s College band performed the Retreat, which it is said has only once previously been seen in Christchurch.

Many thousands of people lined the streets on Saturday morning to see the colourful street march, and about 7000 watched the Saturday afternoon programme at Lancaster Park. There were also good attendances at each of the two evening programmes, the number being placed about 1500 on each occasion. The contest president (Mr T. M. Charters) said last night that the contest had been an outstanding success. Results were:— A GRADE Street March . Timaru Highland .. ..I Dunedin Highland .. ..2 City of Christchurch .. ..3 Burns Highland .. .. .. 4 Selection Invercargill Caledonian (181.875 points) 1 City of Christchurch (179 points) 2 Manawatu Scottish Society (177.375 points) .. .. ..3 City of Wellington (177.125 points) .. 4 Burns Highland (175.875 points) .. 5 Timaru Highland (174.875 points) .. 6 Dunedin Highland (173 points), 7; Ruahine Highland (171.875 points), 8; Wanganui Highland (170.875 points), 9; Hawera Highland (165.875 points), 10. Quickstep City of Christchurch (324.75 points) .. 1 Duhedin Highland (322 points) .. 2 City of Wellington (319.78 points) .. 3 Manawatu Scottish Society (319.5 Points) .. .4 Timaru Highland (317.75 points) .. 5 Ruahine Highland (315.25 points) .. 6 Wanganui Highland (315.125 points), 7; Bums Highland (313.125 points), 8; Invercargill Caledonian (311.625 points), 9; Hawera Highland (300.75 points), 10. Drum Majors’ Display Ruahine Highland .. .. .. 1 Dunedin Highland • .. .. .. 2 Timaru Highland .. .. ..3 City of Christchurch .. ..4

' Drumming -5 Invercargill Caledonian .. . a® City of Christchurch •• J ’ Wanganui Highland .. ». • B GRADE ' Quickstep Canterbury Caledonian Society' I Ashburton Scottish Society .. Christchurch Lad’es’ .. ..I St. Andrew’s College .. .. « Street March Christchurch Ladies’ .. .. 1 Auckland City f’ Ellesmere Highland .. •• 4 Hawke's Bay Scottish .. .• ♦' selection St. Andrew’s College .. •• 1. Auckland City .. .. • ! Scottish Society of New Zealand .. } Hawke's BAy Scottish .. .. ♦, ' Drumming -» Birchfield State Colliery .. 1 Canterbury Caledonian Society ’.. I St. Andrew’s College .. •• I OPEN Staff Flourishing 4. City of Wellington (E. W. Musgrove! I Dunedin Highland (G. Maher) L I. . Hawke's Bay Scottish (J. Baird) .. I,