High School Bands Perform Well

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32359, 27 July 1970, Page 12

High School Bands Perform Well

A large audience in the Linwood High School Hail on Saturday evening wa» given a musical treat by the Christchurch Combined Secondary Schools Band and 11 individual school bands in a festival of music arranged by the Canterbury Provincial Brass Bands’ Association.

The playing was well up to the standard of previous years but, considering the strength of some of the bands, a comparison of performance would be unfair. Balance suffered at times and in some cases tuning was a problem with high and low pitch instruments being used.

The choice of music was good and the audience was able to listen to works by Schubert, Offenbach, Rodgers and Kammerstein, Eric Coates and Holst. The “Best of the Seekers” was also a well-received number and hymn tunes were popular. The representative band of 47 players from various schools performed well indeed. It was evident that much practice and time had gone into the rehearsals, and 1 for this full credit must be! given to Mr G. V. Aldridge,! who trained the band.

Mr N. G. Goffin, of Wellington, the guest conductor for: the evening, and Mr Aldridge' were able to draw the best! from the players and some fine playing was heard. The suite “Divertiments,”'

by Eric Ball, was an ambitious choice but the players rose to the occasion and gave a memorable rendering of this fine piece, which has been used extensively at band contests throughout the world.

Some refined and tuneful playing was heard in Henry Geehl's arrangement of “Watching the Wheat." with the leading cornet players being heard to advantage. The hymn tune, “Lloyd,” “Cavalcade of Martial Songs” and “Cavalry of the Steppes” rounded off the programme. Mr W. Stewart, conductor of the Skellerup-Woolston Band, was an accomplished compere and with his knowledge of bands and band music he was able to keep the audience right in the picture. The bands taking part in the festival were: Linwood (conductor, L. Davidson), Hillmorton (R. Beswarwick), Christchurch Boys’ (A. B. Packman), Rangiora (Miss A. M. Direen), Riccarton (J. Rafferty), Shirley (D. Williams). Ha gley (M. J. Water). Cashmere (F. Dennis), I Christ’s College (R. Beswarwick), Papanui (R. Young) land Mair»hau (T. Brown). No other such event is held in New Zealand and it would be interesting to know if one is held anywhere else in the world. The organisers and performers are to be congratulated on a fine festival. —J.R.