DOMINION BANDS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 136, 5 March 1929, Page 12

DOMINION BANDS

PRAISE BY CONTEST JUDGE CARELESSNESS A GENERAL WEAKNESS Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, March 4. Speaking to a reporter yesterday, Mr. T; J. Rees, the judge of the Band Contest,'said he greatly appreciated the sporting manner in which the bandsmen took his decisions and the gentlemanly way that they had conducted themselves throughout the week. He was greatly impressed with their smartness and cleanliness and the military discipline of the respective bands. , “I must confess we haven’t anything at Home amongst the civilian bands to compare with the strict discipline of the New Zealand bands,” said Mr. Rees. “The march contest would be an eyeopener at Home, and it proves to me that this is one of the chief events from the spectator’s point of view. Unfortunately I was enclosed when the contest took place, but I thank the St. Kilda Band for repeating their demonstration in the evening.” Mr. Rees said the playing had been up to the standard he anticipated. The general weakness was a certain amount of carelessness, especially the commencement of pieces. The majority of the bands as well a's soloists were very slack in 'commencing. The tone of the bands could be improved upon by lengthening the notes a little. There was a general tendency to clip the notes too short. The character of the music should be the first consideration if the movement would be something like the march in “Moorside Suite,” which was marked “presento.”- The notes should not be clipped off too short, and then should not be tied. The length of the notes should be according to the speed of the movement. Mr. Rees said there was a tendenev with some bands to play staccato, the same in every movement. Whatever the speed the character of the nocturne was correctly depicted, but it lacked the poetic rendering which was so essential. The entries of different instruments should be nfore telling, as every one of them had g, message. Mr. Rees said he considered the bands were capable enough to cope with the more difficult pieces .technically; the weakness was in'musicianship. Regarding the soloists, he said they were in the same position as the bands — tltcv lacked the warmth which ,was so essential in slow movements. "I thoroughly enjoved the 'cornet players as regards technique; but there is too much vibrato indulged in,” he said. “Some of the players were unsteady, and also I felt that the tone produced was rather thin—too much edge. Otherwise they were very satisfactory. I trust that these few remarks will be taken in the same spirit as they are given.”

DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZE MONEY. The following are the chief prize winnersA . Grade: - St. Kilda, £216; Wanganui Garrison, £B7 10s.; Queen Alexandra’s Own, £75 16s. Bd.; Timaru, £35 16s. Bd.; Greymouth, £22 10s.; Woolston, £l5 16s. Bd.; Wellington Tramways, £ls.' B Grade: Ashburton, £80; Hawera, £62 10s.; Hastings, £62 10s.; First Battalion Taranaki Regiment, £l5.