Chch has two bands in title

Press, 9 May 1979, Page 6

Chch has two bands in title

Two Christchurch bands, the Skellerup-Woolston Band and the Woolston Working Men’s Club Band, will compete in the New Zealand brass bands championships lin Hamilton from today until Sunday. The Skellerup-Woolston Band, which has been the champion. New Zealand band for six of the last eight years, will defend its title against eight other bands in the A Grade section of the competition. The Woolston Working Men’s Club Band will compete against 12 bands in the B Grade section.

i Because of the cost of > taking band members and instruments to the North IsI land, only two other South • Island bands would take part lin the contest, said the , southern vice-president of the Brass Bands Association ) (Mr A. G. Lewis). ) The 1980 band champion- , ships, which would be the ) centennary of brass band , competitions in New Zealand, would take place in , Christchurch, Mr Lewis said, i The association had arranged ' sponsorship of about $20,000 by an English musical in- ■ strument manufacturer, Boo- [ sey and Hawkes, Ltd. A top British band, the; : Brighouse and Rastrickl ‘Band, from Yorkshire, had been invited to the centennial competitions, and several Australian brass bands had already accepted invitations.