BLIND BANDSMEN

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 221, 15 June 1936, Page 2

BLIND BANDSMEN

Tour of North Island

Following upon a most successful tour last year, principally of the South Island, the New Zealand Institute for the Blind is arranging a North Island tour of its band for October. It is proposed that the party shall visit the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay. Wairarapa, Taranaki and King Country towns. The cheerful, happy confidence of these proficient musicians makes an irresistible appeal to their audiences, and has made them popular guests wherever they have gone. The recent outstanding achievement of the band s voting cornet ist. Air. Allan Morton, in carrying off the open cornet championship' of the Dominion at the New Zealand Brass Bands Contest has been a convincing demonstration that, in music, the blind are under no handicap and can attain to the first rank. Now in its tenth year, the Blind Institute Band has gained a high reputation for the quality of its work. I n addition to borough councils, a number of local societies are taking in hand the making of arrangements. Rotary clubs, women’s institutes., nomen's Division of the Farmers' Union, brass bands ami returned soldiers’ associations. The objects of the tout, apart from dispensing enjoyable enteitainment, are to demonstrate the institute’s work and to raise funds loi its operations. 1