SUCCESSES FOR N.Z. BAND

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27132, 31 August 1953, Page 8

SUCCESSES FOR N.Z. BAND

EDINBURGH CONTEST

THREE FIRST PLACINGS, ONE SECOND (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 30. The New Zealand Band scored outstanding successes on Saturday at Edinburgh, in the premier brass band contest of Scotland. The New Zealand Band won three of the four events, and was second in the fourth. It beat the champion brass band of Britain, the Manchester C.W.S. Nexf Saturday, the New Zealand band will compete against all the great bands of Britain for what is considered the championship of Britain at Belle Vue, Manchester.

The New Zealand Band’s sudeesses against the best bands from England and Scotland were reported by the, 8.8. C. news service at 8.30 a.m., New Zealand time, today. The contest did not end until 6 a.m.,'New Zealand time, today, and the results were cabled to the president of the New Zealand Brass Bands’ Association (Mr R.- E. Belgrave) and the secretary of the association (Mr P. A. Hansen) by 10 a.m.

The results cabled today are as follows:

Selection: New Zealand Band, 191 points, 1; Manchester C.W.S., 187 2 Marching: New Zealand Band, 89,’1: C C W^S 8o" 82, 2; Manchester

Hymn: Manchester C.W.S., 89, 1; New 85 al 3 Dd Band ’ 87 ’ 2; Scottish C.W.S.,

Deportment: New Zealand Band won by a clear margin, but no marks are available.

The Edinburgh contest was part of the annual Edinburgh Festival of Music. Bands enter only by invitation, and invitations are extended only to the best in the nation. The contest is run on “own selection ’ lines, .and not with a test piece, as in the national championship in New Zealand.

The , New Zealand Band was con?ff UCte u by K - G - L - Smith. The Manchester C.W.S., last year’s winner of the Belle Vue contest, was conducted by Mr Eric Ball, a noted composer.

“It is very gratifying to know that our New Zealand Band can beat the best bands in Britain. The bandsmen fl ave JP ore than justified what we thought of them, and proved critics W ™. ng ’ v said Mr Bel firave tonight. lhe bandsmen and the association had felt honoured to have been invited to take part in the Edinburgh contest and would have been satisfied with being placed in the events, he said. By beating the best bands in Britain, the New Zealanders had proved themselves to be a champion team, and not just a team of individual champions, Fand ey Were When they left New Zea ’

The Belle Vue contest is similar to tne national championship in New Zealand, and is a “test piece” contest.