Highland Bandsmen Had A Hot Day

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29989, 26 November 1962, Page 10

Highland Bandsmen Had A Hot Day

Swathed in their tunics, kiits, and plaids, pipe bandsmen had a hot day of it at the Addington Show Grounds yesterday, when the annual North Canterbury provincial contest was staged. However, a uniform is a uniform, and on contest day every detail of it must be correct—otherwise points are lost—so that the bandsmen had to don their plaids, and grin and bear the heat. A cool change after 4 p.m. came as a welcome break in the heat, while the drum majors’ displays were in progress. Eight bands competed—two in the A grade, three in the B grade, and three in the C grade. Included were the City of Christchurch Ladies’ Pipe Band, and the 23rd Nelson Air Training Corps Boys’ Pipe Band. Street March

The day began at 10 a.m. with the judging of the test selection in the three grades. At 1 p.m., after the luncheon break, the bands formed up in Jerrold street for the street march section of the contest, the finishing point being in Twigger street. The Scottish Society of New Zealand’s band won the A grade contest in this section.

The bands paraded on the Show Grounds at 1.45 p.m. for a drum-head service, conducted by the Rev. W. M. Hendrie, and for which the Shirley Boys’ High School brass band provided the music for the hymns. The rest of the afternoon was devoted to the quicksteps, and drum majors’ displays, in which latter the

bands performed the usual intricate movements at the drum major’s whistle. There were only four entries in the drum majors' display—and one of the biggest bursts of applause was drawn by the sole C grade competitor, the City of Christchurch Ladies’ Pipe Band, which contained some quite young girls among its ranks. In the A grade section, the Timarau Highland Pipe Band narrowly beat the Scottish Society of New Zealand’s band, which had won all the other A grade sections, as well as taking both the dress and drumming competitions. Grand March-past The afternoon ended with a march-past by the massed bands—a fine sight, and reminiscent, as always, of the clans marching to war, with the sound of the massed drums like the rattle of musketry. The march-past was followed by the presentation of trophies by Mrs C. S. Thomas, wife of the patron' of the Highland Pipe Bands’ Association of New Zealand. The judges for the contest were Messrs D. Robinson, of Dunedin (music), I. Levy, of Wellington (drumming), J. S. Chisholm (dress), and A Souter (staff flourishing), with Major E. W. Boyle as chief military judge, and Messrs T. A. Gordon, Souter, and I. Eyles as combined judges of the drum majors’ displays. Detailed results were:— A Grade Street March. Scottish Society of New Zealand. 39.593 points, Timaru Highland. Test Selection. Scottish Society of New Zealand. 187.1. 1; Tlmaru Highland, 194.4, 2. Quickstep—Scottish Society of New Zealand, 194.737, 1; Tlmaru Highland. 191.86% 2. Drum Major’s Tlmaru Highland, 110.5, 1; Scottish Society of New Zealand. 109. 2. Championship Aggregate (quickstep and test seta -lion).— Scottish Society of New Zealand, 381.837, 1; Timaru Highland. 376.262. 2. B Grade Street March. Canterbury Caledonian. 38.343 points. 1;

City of Christchurch. 37.093, 2: Metropolitan Highland, 35.312, 3. Test Selection. Canterbury Caledonian. 1734, 1; Metropolitan Highland. 171.9, 2; City of Christchurch, 1894, 3. Quickstep. Metropolitan Highland, 182.225, 1; City of Christchurch. 180.275. 2: Canterbury Caledonian, 179.775. 3. Drum Major's Display.— Metropolitan Highland, 102. 1. Championship AggregateMetropolitan Highland, 354.126, 1; Canterbury Caledonian. 353.275, 2; City of Christchurch. 300.075. 3 C Grade Street March.—North Canterbury Caledonian. 35481 points. 1; City of Christchurch Ladies. 34825. 2; 33rd Nelson Air Training Corps, 30.437. 3. Test Selection. North Canterbury Caledonian, 186.1, 1; City of Christchurch Ladies. 1634; 2; 23rd Nelson Air Training Corps. 152. 3. Quickstep.—North Canterbury Caledonian, 171.937, 1; City of Christchurch Ladies, 169.437. 2. Drum Major’s Display.—City of Christchurch Ladies. 91, 1.

Championship Aggregate. North Canterbury Caledonian. 338.037, 1: City of Christchurch Ladies. 332.537, 2.