Retirement Of Teacher Of Blind Bandsmen

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30008, 18 December 1962, Page 11

Retirement Of Teacher Of Blind Bandsmen

“Th. Pr»«“ Special Scrvica

AUCKLAND, Dec. 17.

A man who for 35 years has tanned musicians who can see needier these sheet music nor the conductor’s baton—the bandsmen are Wind—has decided to retire. He is Captain G. W Bowes, conductor of the band of the New Zealand Foundation tor the Blind. At 84. he feels that he has reached the retiring age. Captain Bowes (then a itoutenaot) took over the task of training the band when it was farmed in 1927. He soon mastered the oomplioated system of Braille music notation and copied into Braille each bandsman’s music to enable him to memorise his part. Under Captain Bowes’ guidance, the band made five nationwide tours before 1939 and is well known in Auckland for its playing ait Government House garden parties. The 27-piece band also played at race meetings and performed many times in Auckland parks. During the Second World War, it assisted in rasing hundreds of pounds for patriotic purposes. In 1950, the band made its final tour of the country in conjunction with a national appeal for funds to help blind welfare. Since then, the band has slowly given way to a changed way of life for the blind. Wider employment opportunities took many bandsmen away from the foundation workshops in

Parnell and new end expanded recreokton taciitetta tor bogn attending toe foundation school prevented them from taking the same interest in music. The last decade has afro seen the introduction of many “aight savers” into the foundation school. Many of the children no longer team Brailte. Instead they work with large type and therefore are unable to cape with the BraiHe music. With the retirement of Captain Bowes toe band, now reduced to 10 players, may' be dnsbecded. For toe first tame in 35 years, toe band did not «ay ait toe end-of-term concert tor the foundation school pupils this week. Bom in England. Captain Bowes was 18 when he enlisted with the King’s Royal Irish Hussars. He is a South African War veteran and came to live in New Zealand shortly after thait war finished. For eight yeans he was a member of the Wellington Tramway Band. Captain Bowes served with toe Ist Auckland Battalion tar 20 years. He left the battalion about four years ago. Captain Bowes said that he would not give up music altogether. He would be living in Howick and would act as tutor for toe Howick Civic Band.

Time is a sandpile we run our fingers on.-klarl Sandburg.