BANDS AND BANDSMEN

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 16, 13 October 1933, Page 13

BANDS AND BANDSMEN

Ellesmere’s Great Day

THE LEESTON CONTEST

Notes by “Kneller Hall.”

COMING CONTESTS.

Invercargill (Southland). —B and C grade bands, November 4. Manaia (Taranaki). —March, 1J34. Rotorua. —B and C grade. Easter Saturday, 1934.

The brass band and pipe contest at Leeston (Canterbury) last Saturday provided another example of the growing popularity of district contests. Fourteen bands —eight brass and six pipe—competed, and the arrangements made for the visiting bandsmen left nothing to be desired. There was an attendance of the general public of well over 2000, and as the weather conditions were excellent the success of the fixture was assured. This was the fourth annual band festival conducted under the auspices of the Canterbury Provincial Bands’ Association, and there seems every reason to yssumc that it will be a yearly one. Mr. R. T. McMillan, president of the contest committee, and. Mr. R. G. Power, secretary, with the assistance of their colleagues, were responsible for most of the credit for the successful staging of the contest. The adjudicator of the brass section was Mr. A. Schnack, and Mr. D. McKechnie judged the pipe section. The military judges were Captain J. Coe, Lieut. S. McLaughlin, Sergeant-Major Patrick and Sergeant Hobson. In the B grade, Ashburton Silver Band was successful in winning both the selection and the quickstep, retaining for the second year the Connolly Shield, presented by Mr. J. Connolly, M.P., for B grade bands gaining highest aggregate points in the test selection and quickstep. Ellesmere won the quickstep for C grade bands, and Timaru Municipal Junior the test selection for the same grade, but the margin of points gained by the former band in the quickstep whs sufficient to secure for it the aggregate' and the Rangiora Shield, donated by citizens of the North Canterbury town to C grade band gaining highest aggregate points in selection and quickstep. The bcottish Society’s Band (Christchurch) was the most successful in the pipe section, winning both the selection and the quickstep, thus annexing the Ashburton County Scottish Society’s Shield for highest aggregate points in the two classes* The B grade test selection was “Recollections of Rossini,” arranged by Rimmer, and that for the 0 grade was an original work by the same arranger, entitled “Happy Memories.” The music for the quickstep, “Black Knight, was also a composition of Rimmer’s, and the playing was warmly commended by the judges. The Timaru Municipal Junior Band came in for some complimentary remarks, its playing in the quickstep placing it three points ahead of the winning band in music. It is gratifying to see a young band acquit itself so creditably, and supports our contention in last week’s notes that the future of brass bands generally rests on the encouragement given,to the juniors. . At a special meeting of the executive of the New Zealand Brass Bands Association on. Wednesday evening, it was decided that Wellington be the venue of the championship contest for 1934, Instead of Wanganui, as generally understood. The decision was arrived at only after very serious consideration, but was recognised as inevitable, as information had come to hand that some of the leading bands were 'up against it” financially and would be unable to undertake the trip to tbs river town. It was realised that Wanganui possessed numerous advantages that lent themselves admirably to the holding of a contest, but the difficult times through which the bands, in common with other organisations, are passing, made the question of transport a very knotty problem for outside bands to tackle. As, under the existing economic conditions; few outside bands would be able to travel beyond Wellington, and in fairness to the Wanganui Committee, who might lie saved a potential loss, the executive of the N.Z.8.8.A. felt that the contest would be more likely to prove a success if held in the capital city. Preparations are already in hand to make up for lost time in the matter, and all uncertainty is now at an end.

In Reminiscent Vein. Ernest G, Tate, in the course of an interesting letter, states with reference to the late Lieut James Ord Hume.--"I am interested in anything connected with him, as I. was a boy in the Aldershot. Town Band when, he was engaged at times to play solo cornet At that time, about 1888, he was still in the Scots Greys. About the end of that year he left the Greys and took over the conductorship of the Town At that time, his brother, John Ord Hume, was band-sergeant of the Imuskilling Fusiliers. I left Aidershot for Woolwich in 1889. and did not see him again‘until 1895, when lie was taking over Harrogate Spa. I never saw him again, although I called at his house in Stock Orchard Crescent, North London, and also at Boosey's, where he was employed as arranger, etc. This was In 1927.” Baiidroom Chat.

Among the official visitors to Leestou last week, ou the occasion of the annual contest of the Canterbury Provincial Bands Association, was Mr. John G. Osborne, secretary of the New Zealand Brass Bands Association. Air. Orborne represented the bead body of the bands of the Dominion, and was of much assistance to the contest committee in the statistical department of the fixture. He returned to Wellington on Tuesday morning, and speaks of the excellent arrangements that had been made for the carrying out of the contest, which was successful in every way. The Taranaki Bands Union has decided that the test selection for the B grade bands at the Manaia contest be the same as that chosen for the B grade competition at the coming New Zealand contest. It was also decided to delete the ,12-mile radius condition, and to give all bands a free hand. A remit from New Plymouth that any band be allowed the services of one outside player, provided he is not an A grade player or a professional, was carried. The union executive was appointed a protest committee, and some changes were made in the administrative rules of the union.

A feature of the concert given by the Queen Alexandra’s Own Band in the Wanganui Opera House last week was the cornet playing of Bandsman Gordon Bergersen. He was accompanied by the band, and Ills solos were greatly appreciated. Lieut. Webb, the popular conductor, had bis men in splendid trim, and the programme gave evidence of the high standard the band has at-\ tained under him.