BAND CONTEST

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 133, 1 March 1929, Page 12

BAND CONTEST

ASHBURTON WINS SECOND B GRADE TEST TROMBONE TRIOS JUDGED Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, February 28. Another fine evening favoured the band contest There was a clear sky and an absence of wind. Public interest centred on the B grade second test Granville Bantock’s tone poem "Kublt Khan” being chosen, a work sufficiently difficult to indicate fully the competitors’ strong and weak points. How they fared is shown in Judge Ree’s decisions. TROMBONE TRIO.Prior to the test finals were decided in the trombone trio. In the recalls Timaru played first, St. Kilda next, and Queen Alexandra’s third. Each gave an interesting interpretation of the test. “Comrades in Arms," ■by Adams, well known by male voice choirs. The judge gave his verdict as follows: — St. Kilda, 95 points 1 Timaru, 92 points 2 Queen Alexandra’s Own,, 88 points 3 Also competed: Greymouth, Hawera, Dannevirke, Hastings, Wellington Tramwpvs, Palmerston North, and Woolston. The judge (Mr. Trussell) said the recalls were not as good as in the morning, when they played in the hall. It is more difficult to play in the open air. He congratulated the winners on their playing in the open air. B FLAT CORNET CHAMPIONSHIP. The B flat cornet championship (“Remembrance”) resulted as follows :— G. Bergerson (Queen Alexandra’s Own)? 95 points 1 R. A. L. Taylor (Dannevirke), 92 points 1 2 W. Bowman (Wellington City Silver), 90 points 3 Also competed: S. G. Teal (Ashbur,ton), 89; H. J. Osborne (Ashburton), 86; H. F. Vincent (Greymouth), 87; R. Swan (Hawera), 80; W. 11. Osborne (Timaru), 89; W. Kay (Wellington Tramways), 83; G. Christie (St, Kilda), 86; W. Aldridge (St. Kilda), 81; C. Flood (Port Nicholson) : W. Stevenson (Port Nicholson), G. McGrath (Wanganui Garrison). EUPHONIUM SOLO. Tin awards in the euphonium solo (“Harmonious Blacksmith”) were as follow: —• „ . „ T. H. Hughes (Taranaki), 98 points 1 H, Guthrie (Wanganui Garrison), 94 points ~ \ 2 John Lowe (New Plymouth Citizens), 92 points •• • • •’ Also competed: Johnson Mayfield (Otago Mounteds), 80 points; A. Ramsay (Queen Alexandra’s), S 3; C, Austin (Queen Alexandra’s), 78; J. Cosgrove (Hastings), 76; R. Kemp (Hastings), 78; L. Claydon (Wellington Tramways), 85; C. Miller (St. Kilda). 795 A. Winslade (St. Kilda), 89; H. McLeod (Waihi) 77: J- Cowleshan (Palmerston North), 75; L. Hn11» (Greymouth), 88; R. Fenton (Port Nicholson), SO; Jo. Burton (Greymouth). 82; J. McClintock (Woolston), 86; S. Crisp (Woolston), S 4, SECOND B GRADE TEST.

Tn “Kubla Khan” Bantock has pictured in 1 music Coleridge-Taylor’s poem, and as mlffht be expected there is an air mystery running through the composition with numerous dissonances and resolutions, mainly of a minor character Lents and largeinento are used extensively to express the composer's and poet s mean, inc. The danger, of course, is that unless carefully treated the composition might easily degenerate into a dirge, losing its beauty and meaning. The best bands, while observing the slow religious nature of the composition, avoided the pitfalls associated with these slow-moving S<? ln Cti the’ B grade test, New Plymouth found considerable difficulty, the intonation being poor and conception of the work little better. It was generally weak throughout. Hastings played next and were a marked improvement, the intonation being good. This band revealed many beauties of the tone poem, interpreting the work interestingly. Ashburton, who came first in the test on Monday night, agan showed form, expressing the weird figures of the cast very intelligently and the colouring being uniformly good. The musical story was wel Hold anil It was altogether a very lino rendering. First Battalion Taranaki failed to catch the spirit of the composition in parts, although there were some well-played passages on the whole and ft was a fairly interesting rendering, especially in the latter part,and the tonal quality was atractive. Hawera. whose Interpretation on Monday night was mentioned by the judge. Interpreted the second selection attractively, a feature being the phrasing and shading, while the tone was well maintained —a fine performance. Feilding; who were last to play, showed improvemernent on their first night’s performance. The judge said he .was not so satisfied as on the previous night. It was a very difficult piece, gild required musicians to play it. “Kubla Khan” was a wonderful piece for male choirs, and he advised bands to play more of this type of music. His awards were as follow :-rPts. Ashburton, first test, 84pts.; second test, 87; total J7l Hawera, 83, 84 167 Hastings, 81, 85 .., JOJ» Ist Battalion Taranaki, 79, S 3 16J Feilding. 79. 80 1“9 New Plymouth, 77. 75 la'-