DOMINION BAND CONTEST

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27912, 8 March 1956, Page 14

DOMINION BAND CONTEST

B AND C GRADE CHAMPIONS TITLES TO DERRY’S AND NAPIER CITY (New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL. March 7. The Band of the 3rd Armoured Regiment (Derry’s), winner of the first B grade test at the New Zealand brass band championships at Invercargill, tonight won the second test and the championship. It scored 140 points in the second test, to givv it an aggregate of 279 points. The Wellington Municipal Tramways Band was second in the test with 137 points and second in the championship with a score of 273. Third was the Christchurch Municipal Band, with 134 points in the test and an aggregate score of 265. The only other band in the section. Invercargill Garrison, gained 130 points. The test piece was Eric Ball’s “Call of the Sea.” “I had to come 11.000 miles to listen to the finest interpretatation of this piece of music that I have ever heard,” said the judge (Dr. Denis Wright, of London), commending the winning band. “The music flowed marvellously.” The standard of the first two bands was really high. In the C grade second test Dr. Wright judged bands playing his own composition. “Glastonbury.” It was a more difficult piece than the first C grade test, and set a few problems of interpretation and intonation. Dr. Wright said that the standard of playing was again high for a C grade band and better than the English standard.

The winner was Te Awamutu. which was placed fourth in the first test. The second band. Napier City, was five points behind with a score of 127. Wellington Watersiders was third with 125 points. Ashburton Silver gained 124 points, and Addington Workshops 120. Napier City is the C grade champion band, with an aggregate score of 262. Te Awamutu is second with 259. and Wellington Watersiders third with 253. A. Brieseman (St. Kilda) won the tenor trombone solo today. It was his third win in this section. J. Edgecombe (Te Awamutu) was one point behind with a score of 91. and B. Aldridge (3rd Armoured Regiment) and W. E. Newth (Hamilton Citizens) were third equal with 90 points. The quartet section was won by Queen Alexandra's Own Band No. 1 (Wanganui), with 88 points. St. Kilda Municipal was one point behind in second place, and the 3rd Armoured Regiment was third. Members of the winning quartet were K. Jarrett (cornet), W. Platt (second cornet), B. Humphrey (tenor horn), and J. Neale (euphonium). J. C. King, conductor of the Wellington Boys’ Institute Band, won the veterans’ solo, for bandsmen over 50. He played “Silver Threads” on the soprano—an instrument he has not

touched for 22 years. The judge (Mr K. G. L. Smith) praised him for a "beautiful and artistic render’ng.” King, who is 51. was placed second in the same section last year. In 1927 he won the New Zealand soprano champiqnshin and was second in the champion of chamoions contests. Second in the solo today was A .A. Taylor (Timaru Municipal), on a cornet. and W. Matson, a trombonist, from the Lower Hutt Municipal Band, was third. Only one point separated all three competitors.