THE BAND CONTEST.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1054, 18 February 1911, Page 7

THE BAND CONTEST.

' 1 , v ANOTHER WIN FOR WELLINGTON ' ' CARRISON. COMMENTS ON THE PLAY. : : Telecrajib.—Special Correspondent.! >>i,<v i . r i Palmerston North, February. 17. , To-night tho curtain will bo rung doiva on, tho fourteenth" band "'contest of this' North Island Brass;Baml Asso- :. elation. vTho weather has, beeK glo'ri- : ous, much to tho discomfiture oi tho farmers, tho country 1 wears a burnt , and dusty appearanco. From tho contest standpoint, however, jt has bev<i ideal, and tho pcoplo havo flockdd in th6ushnds to hear tho main competitions. .At tho time of writing . tho tendr liorn solos nro' being decided, thai. 813 bass and bass, trombone sections having 'faced tho judge this morning. : In the' former event Wei•lington Garrison'have secured a- win, thcar: bass placer, Gunner,, scoring 951 . iut;of a possiblo 100 points. In tho basf trombone; Handley, of tho Taranal;i Garrison Band, : secured fine 1 platio with 90 out. of .100 points. Tho . JudijO; was complimentary to both tho abov>o players,' and, stat(*d that tho forinor gave 4 most excellent rendering. In glancing back at tho contest ono is surprised at .'tho 'magnitude of it. The, arrAngementsMiavo been carried out (.without' a hitch, 'and tho. whole . management reflects great credit'on Motors. iW. H. and J. D. Hunter,secretary _ and ; supervisor respectively. When.it is understood that tho.,opntest has been in progress from ,v, . practically 8/a,m.: to mianight,- it'will • bo.'seen what a tremendous . task the . , judge; has.'had.' i Mr. Short has had *.-v«ry trying timo on account of being . confined'in a room all day in'.this • sweltering ho.it. 1 It seems to bo tho popular.'verdict that-Wellington GaN Tison - and Wellington Tramways I are wellahead of tho competitors in tho A litnd B grades' respectively, j,lt;,seems'likely that there will bo •■frittiori, whichever way .tho; contest ■ goos,/on account of the counting of .musical points.obtained, in tlio march-, ing for the championship. In the past . the: arrangement has been to allot two • points in five,- but sonio are claiming 1 , 'th.'it .the . North Island Band Board havte instituted n new rtilo the ; total points' count.'., Wellington Garrison.',.thinking' tho former method would, prevail, went easy on ; tho T ,' lo resultis that if tlio total is..allowed, Wanganui is leading for 'thi> sluehL It is too early to say what tho outcome will be. ; -- :• % T-»— ,

, - ,'V ••••, ,•: -- .Later. • ' . ■ {be; playing .for tho final test seleo- ' at; 6.45 n.m., Marton •.«' Tin - . ',? a . < U u 2.' Off • tho-. selection ' ■ .vOcaccio. , It was evidently too much {or'so. young a hand.,, Nevertheless, tntfv put up a fair performance, and 1 ' Jfcrrt ■ dapped on; leaving tho rotunda. , Uhehunga another young !hand, 'next ineptl tho judge, tho. crowd by this wrac!, numbering about. 500. After "' : had given n 'moderate per- '-; f? 1 ] mo , nc 'v Taranaki Garrison mounted . . th 6 .platform and gavo a much, better •. than tho. two previous . After tho band from tho butter province camo tho winner of' tho first ' Wellington' Tramways talk their place, and from tho opening now it was evident tlio and ■ 'Conductors wero in for' business, and when; they concluded their performance i lO , ~on' numbered about 1000, heartily ' applauded them. ■There-is no question'tho band gavo a I •; luaffttiucent performance'-in every 'do- . partmont. ' T.. Goodnll's'cornet hlav- . : ingPWas beaWtlWl. -huft' - isr■ aeserVilig'of'overy' prais'e "fftr t]iot njjinnor in'which ho has brought- ■ The Jfarton Royal were tifth' * on l 'tho list, and gave* a'much ilmn their fellow-' townsmeu'. Gisborno. was next, a Rood'deal was- cxpeutei! of them, and : w/jMfi -they : gavo :jt good account of v thewselvcs,'tho writer's opinion is that they fell short of tho 'IYannvays per- • forpianoo. At 8.20 Ashburton took thsir 'place,- and gavo a very fair ren-" , > °f r ' n ,S- ' was beginning to get tired ' ofji'h& Bamo-selection,' and a relief{ when tho last hand in B grade, \\aitnra, commenced at 8.40. Tho tempos of this band' were different : wm '; every ' other 5 - bind—altogether, *jtw<)f;porformanc9. - j ' ' ■' After Mr.' Short had been allowed a quarter of tin. hour's respite, Wnnganui ' mounted the platform at 0.10 to com[^"f 0 the A grn'de. The selection was , >1; alstalF, 1 and the excitement was high from tho first lioto to tlio last. The p(«plo were enthralled by tho splendid pmyirig of-: tho'Wanganui-men. liicir . pmymg brought forth great.. applause largo'audience, and set a high-Standard for . Wellington to-attain d® l ® '»cxt'.to-'moiint tho stand was tfalniflrston,'vho gave only a moderate , S 0 ,????? 1 "?®- After the local band had ', nilished, W eslpor't wero given the floor, aiurgayea good performance. ' , ,'Wellington Garrison wcro chccred cntlitiswstically whoii they followed Wcst--7 From tho first note it was parent that Lieutenant Herd and his meii wcro "after scalps." It .was unfnrtunato that three slips wero mado in.the ;solos, but apart from that tho performance was a brilliant succcss, and the vast concourse roso and chccred -tho band ,to tho echo. It is doubtful if cvfer .ft moro hrilliaiit performance ha 3 been; heard in Xow Zealand, and it reWinds one of tho BeSses at their best. Whatever tho judgo's decision is, tho pubin no unmistakable manner that 'thee Wellington Garrison was their : favourite. . : ;

Petono followed tho city band, and had. a : difficult task set thorn, but went through selection in'a satisfactory' lnariner,. Last to play, were tho men jrojn Waihi, and whilo they wcro not Lrilliant, tlioy wcro solid. It was just elorcn'o'clock when tho Jast note wcs iblown, and all was excitement" waiting for the judge's decision. L , j.Tho president of the North Island Brass' Band Association thanked tho Palmerstpn eommittco for tho excellent manner in which tboy had carried out tho contest, nnd looked after tho visiting jbmidsmcn. •. • - ••r rr' 6 -" 10 ®K llros wcro being made up, J lr -Siiort gavo as a trumpet solo "Tho Lost' Chord,' nnd v tho bandsmen who nad;been'judged by him now occupied reverse jfositions, and good-naturedly passed judgment on tho judge. However,''' Mr»> Short's Action was appreciated, especially as lio Iwd been confined m bis tentiall dny. At tho conclusion no was honrtily chccrcd, and gnvo as an encore -"Sandon." The final result was as follows First prize and £100, with 440 points, and tho championship of New Zealand nnd tlio _ Begg-Bessoiv Shield—Wellington"Garrison, with '101 points. Waihi took second place for tho championship, with 408 points,' and Wanganui third, with 300 points.In tho B grado, \\ ellington Tramways won tho championship and tho Booscy Shield. . , .

In to-night's selection Wellington got 210 points' to Wancamii's 175. Tramways got 195 in to-night's selection, Gisborne being next 'with 190. FINAL RESULTS. DECISION COMES AS A SUJIPHISE. IBt TclccraDh-Prcfs Association.) _ Palmorston N., February 17. '.Tho judgment in tho band contest, which was. given shortly beforo midnight,. created a sensation, as Wanganui,- whoso playing in thu sccond test picec has |>mii greatly applauded, was nlnccd absolutely Inst in A-grade, Wellington being placcd first. • Wellington. Garrison 'thus wins A grade, and Wellington Tramways II grade. . Tho results are:—

A Grade, sccowl test. —Wellington, 210; AVaihi, 200; Petonc, 190; Palmorslon, 185: Westport, ISO; Wnnganui, 175.

B Erode, second test.—Wellington Tramways, 195; Gisborne, 190; Marton Royal, 185; Onehunga', 170; Aslibnrtoh, 160; Waitara, ISO; I'nranaki, 150; Marton Junction, 90. . ■

Totals for tho Bcsson Shiild.—Wei lington Garrison, 491; Waihi, 480; Wangamii, 460; Wostport, 451; Fetone, 480; Paluierston, 400. For the £100 prize.—Wellington, 446: Waihi, 408; Wnnganui, 396; Westporti 390; Fetone, 3G7J; Palraerston, 350.