THE WELLINGTON BRASS BAND CONTESTS OF 1892.

Evening Post, Volume LII, Issue 1170, 9 December 1896, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON BRASS BAND CONTESTS OF 1892.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib — In your issue of the 30th November (Monday last) a letter appears signed " Satistied." and dated the 27th November. We, the undersigned, ask for a small space to answer that mixed-up letter. " Satisfied " appears to be closely connected with Jupp's Band by the tone of his letter, hence the business arrangements of the Contest Committee of 1892, and stating the Band at present being in possession of mixed instruments. We wish to deal with the letter under several heads :— Delegates represented Jupp's Band on the Committee during all arrangements; their names we need not mention. And yet " Satisfied " says, " The Committee could give their Secretaries £5 each for a present." The Secretaries- stated at the time they would not receive anything as a present. Then the Committee considered they ought to be paid for loss of time during the contest week— not for ten months' clerical work, corresponding •with 60 bands in the colonies, &c. One of the secretaries also gave the use of his house to the Committee for all meetings for the ten months. The bands of Wellington in 1892 Voted, theGarrison£lO, City, Forester's, and Jupp's £5 each, towards the contest fund. The donations from the first three named bands were received by the Committee. The donation from Jupp's Band was going to be paid in every week, but up to the present time it has not been received by the Chairman or the Secretaries. It was decided by the com- 1 mittee before the conteit took place that if it should result in a financial failure, the local bands, if prize winners, would have to forego their claim for prize money to keep faith with the successful visiting bands, which bands were all paid in full. Jupp's Band delegates will remember how a part of the Committee worked hard to try and arrange a combined performance after the contest was over to help all the local bands collectively, but the idea was abandoned. It is well known to the public of Wellington that the financial failure of the contest was due to having to run against a professional opera company like Williamson and Musgrove's, at that time performing in Wellington. ,The public have heard one side of the matter, but in fairness to all concerned we wish to place the true facts of the case before them, as appears in the minute-book of the Committee, which is still in possession of the late Secretaries, and can be inspected by anyone on application. In regard to the forthcoming contest, " Satisfied " considered that bandsmen should not be included on the Committee, and in the same breath he exclaims, " I am sure there are only two men on the Music Committee who understand the selecting of a judge for a contest. T?ow, what would a committee of non-bandsmen know about contest matters ?" The whole letter appears to be a mixture of antagonistic ideas. Then, he 'says, when the band gets that new let of Boosey*s instruments (Class A), they will no doubt shake the other bands up, and still he is satisfied. All through the letter, bandsmen would' think he means to say there " ain't nothing " in contesting, and still the same old signature, " Satisfied." We think he ought to have added the other little annoying syllable, and made his signature " Dissatisfied." We are, &c, William Foster, Ghuznee-street, Fbane J. Oakes, Kent-terrace (Secretaries for Contest in 1892).