BAND CONTEST

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 130, 26 February 1925, Page 9

BAND CONTEST

RESULTS OF B AND C GRADE TESTS.. By Telegraph-—Press Association. Auckland, February 25. At the Brass Bands Contest, the B Grade First Test Selection . (“KnightErrant”) resulted: Otaro Field Artillery 1, New Plymouth Citizens 2, Greymouth Municipal 3. Others in order of merit were: Fielding Municipal, Waihi Federal, Gisborne City, Whangarei, Port Auckland, Waikato Regimental, Hamilton Municipal and Onehunga. The performances in more than one instance approached that of A grade bands. Mr. Code, judge of the- B grade, said much of the playing was fairly even. He had difficulty in separating several of the competitors.. The standard had not quite reached what he expected. The test contained plenty of variety and no outstanding difficulty, even for B grade bands. The playing in instances was of high-grade B standard. Six bands competed in the C grade contest, which ■ resulted: Ponsonby Bovs' Band, 105 points, 1; Devonport United, 103 points, 2; Birkenhead Municipal, 99 points, 3; Te Aroha Municipal, 94 points, 4; Te Awamutu Municipal and Takapuna Municipal each 88 points, 5. Mr. Code, the judge, commented that the playing. disclosed too many crudities. ’ He thought some of the bands had not been long in existence, and with more training much better results would be achieved. Solo Competitions.—G Trombone Test, solo, “Village Blacksmith”: C T Aldridge (Auckland Artillery), 93 points, 1; D. Kerr (Otago Artillery, Dunedin), 91 - points, 2. Side Drums.—T. G. Gee (Auckland Artillery), 89 points, 1; C. Bell (Palmerston North Municipal), 88 points, 2. Bass Drums. —W. Woodley (Southland Batallion, Invercargill), 92 points, 1; T. Stevenson (Gisborne City), 92 ? points, 2. .... ’ TT Solo Cornet Championship: C. Haves (Auckland Artillery), 96 points, 1; W Stevenson (Wellington Tramways), 94 points. 2; A. Paxton (Malvern) and R. B Wills (Woolston), 92 points, equal 3.

VETERAN BANDSMEN (BY TBEEGBAPH—SPECIAL OOBBEBPONDENT.)

, Auckland, February 24. The oldest bandsman in New Zealand and the father of the present Auckland contest is William Daniel Crump, aged 73, who plays the tenor horn for the Wellington Municipal iramwavs Band. Bandsman Crump, who was born in Yorkshire, commenced his career as a bandsman at the early age of eight. He was the first member of the band at Wombwell in Yorkshire' and became proficient on the soprano cornet. Later he played with the Mounted Rifles Band at -Chesterfield in Derbyshire. He was a member of Rotherham Oldborough Band m Yorkshire for some 20 years, and when this band went out of. commission he was appointed bandmaster of the Greasbrough Brass. Band in Yorkshire In 1902 he came out to New Zealand and settled in Wellington. He has attended twelve band contests in New Zealand and firmly ’believes that this one will be the best ,of the lot and comparable with any in the world. Bandsman William I enton,. of the Christchurch Municipal Band is in his 72nd year and is a competitor in tne B flat section, and plays and carries his 281 b. instrument with ease. He commenced playing a band inst ™“ e ?’L ” 11 years. For many years Bandsman Fenton was in India. He has won many gold and silver medals and two silver instruments at compet tions . in England, Australia and in the Dominion. Bandsman Albert Barkell, also a member of the Christchurch Municipal Band, is at present conductor of two bands on the West Coast of the South Island at Denniston. He is 62 years of age and still plays soprano eornet. He commenced playing this instrument some kk n a o. At one Lime lie was a member of Besses o’ the Barn Band and also played m Australian bands for some years. Bandsman Barkell has many gold and silver medals to his credit.