CAIRNS BAND

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 111, 4 February 1936, Page 5

CAIRNS BAND

Concert in Wellington Wellington has seldom had the pleasure of hearing a musical organisation of the quality of the band of the 31st Battalion, Australian Military Force (Cairns), which gave the first recital of its New Zealand tour at the Wellington Town Hall last night. The potentialities -of brass band music are rarely exploited so successfully. Although they bro fresh from Australian triumphs, the men had barely time to reach the platform after disembarking from their steamer, and passing the Customs. Their dinner was postponed until after the concert. The audience didfiiot need to make allowances for these circumstances. It rewarded the players with increasing applause as item followed item. • The combination has the marks of a first-class band, while it is infused with the personality of its conductor. The band corresponds to a New Zealand territorial band, and has a large proportion of young instrumentalists, the average age being 23 years. It has been competing in contests during the last 25 months only, but in that time has risen from the lower grades to the champion A grade band of Australia.

Tlie musical director, Warrant-Officer J. Compton, has had many successes as a eornetist as well as a conductor, and the audience' last night were given a treat when he contributed to the programme a solo, “My Old Kentucky Home,” with band accompaniment. Another item which appealed to all was “The Switchback” (Sutton), with Bandsman E. Selby as the solo trombone player. The humoreske “Canecutters’ Blues” with a muted cornet solo played by Bandsman N. Henstridge also took the fancy of the audience. The music was the soloist’s arrangement. The remainder of the programme was as follows: March, "Wellington” (Zehle) ; overture, "Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna” (Suppe) ; “Suite Bohemian” (Hume) ; overture, "The Bohemian Girl” (Balfe) ; suite,: "Scenes from Maoriland” (Hume) ; waltz, ‘Thoughts” (Alford) ; tone poem, “Finlandia” (Sibelius); finale, "The President” (German) ; and two popular numbers, “Frog Puddles” and "Red Sails in the Sunset.” Each was played with the band’s characteristic ability.

Assisted by massed bands of Wellington, the Cairns Band will: give a performance at the Basin Reserve to-morrow evening, which will be an opportunity to hear the champion band of Australia in the open air. At 3.15 p.m. to-day they will lay a wreath on the Wellington War Memorial, later being the guests of the Prime Minister, Hon. M. J. Savage, at afternoon tea. This evening they will play at the Lower Hutt Rcreation Ground, the programme including a quickstep.