FOURTH REGIMENT BAND

Evening Star, Issue 17542, 23 December 1920, Page 11

FOURTH REGIMENT BAND

SUBSCRIBERS’ CONCERT. Over a very long period 1 Dunedin has been well served bv the band formerly , known as the Garrison Band and now as | the Fourth Regiment Band. It has a place of its own in militarv ceremonials, and has taken its full share in public welcomes, farewells, and reioicings, and now and again it has given concerts. In I every wav the band has earned the grati- ! tude and resnect of the community, and ; now, in its latest activity, the inauguration !of annua! concerts for subscribers, it can ‘ confidently count upon success. The fwst concert, of that series, given in Hw Ma’estv’s Theatre last night, was verv numerously attended, and the people seemed to take a pleasure in going —g ! pleasure which merged into complete satis faction as the concert progressed ; for. under the close control of the, veteran coni doctor. Lieutenant S. S. George, the perI formances submitted reached a standard worthy of comparison with the performances of famous military hands, such as the 40th and the 18th in the Maori War days. A varied programme was presented. ; The hand pieces were Alford’s march ‘On the Quarter Deck,’ tho classic overture to j ‘ Zampa.’ Godfrey’s arrangement of ex- ' tracts from Gounod’s works, tho ‘ Ernani ’ grand selection, and I.otter’s humorous variations on the nursery air of ‘ Three Blind Alice.’ In all these the solo playing was distinctly acceptable—clarinet of outstanding merit, cornet and euphonium well up to the mark—and the fall band work distinntly good as to tone, balance, and oneness, the chord playing excellent, the imitations in sympathy, the handing from part to part such as 'is only possible as the result of diligent rehearsal. As an example of this latter quality the long i quick runs from piccolo to the* big basses in the humorous variations may be men- , tinned with approval, they being counted ;off most accurately, ’the solo items by j bandsmen were also quite satisfactory, Sergeant-maior T. R. George playin'? i stylishly the divertissement ‘Les A!sa°i ciennes,’ and Bandsman W. Paine presenting the piccolo polka ‘The Woodland ; Songster ’ in brilliant and sure fashion. iThe side-drumming also merited praise, it j being invariably well graded to the sub- , ject in hand\ Two singers, each skilfully • accompanied by Air C, A. Martin, con- ‘ tvibuled relieving items that were much ■.appreciated. Aliss Aleda Paine’s set songs Wandered Down the Alountain ■ Side ’ andj Lovely Spring,’ arid her encore i songs were ‘ How Many a Lonely CaraI van ’ and ‘ Annie Laurie ’ (which, by the : wa J'i is a man’s song). Captain Ziesler ! chose in the first part that stirring song | ‘ Danny Deever,’ and later gave ‘Speed the Plough,’ his extra songs being a very fine - composition entitled ‘ To-morrow,’ by Frederick Keel, and the cobbler’s song from ‘ Chu Chin Chow.’ The singers were in good form, and their contributions were well worthy of the occasion.