SUNDAY BAND CONCERTS

Evening Star, Issue 17543, 24 December 1920, Page 8

SUNDAY BAND CONCERTS

TO TEE EDITOR. Sir, —I quite agree with the sentiments expressed by " Observant Bandsman " in last night's issue of the 'Evening Star.' There are some othcT aspects of the question, however, that he did not deal with. In your issue of the 9th inst. you dealt with the letter from the Town Clerk to the secretary of the Kaikorai Band, refusing to give a permit to* hold a Sunday evening concert as his letter could not be dealt with by the council till its next meeting 011 the 19th January next. How cpmes it, then, that a special meeting of the council can be arranged to meet a deputation of ministers and laymen who are up against Sunday concerts, and after hearing the arguments put forward by the one side only, to cancel its previous decision ? W T ould it not have been reasonable for the council to defer giving a decision on the notice of motion put forward by Cr Shacklock until it had heard the other side of the question ? The public may not know that the expense in connection with the upkeep of a band—instruments, uniforms, conductor's salary, music, rent of band room, etc.—is a very heavy one, and is a constant source of anxiety to tho members, whose services are purely honorary. In the case of our champion band, Kaikorai, the year just ended showed that the expenses incurred amounted to £520, and practically the whole of this sum was earned by the band at public performances, and by winning the championship at the recent" contest. Surely if churches are permitted to hold what are practically conceits on Sundays in aid of "choir funds," bands are entitled to the same privilege, especially as they render much greater service to" the public, while such concerts would help to keep the younger people off the streets and tend to elevate the mind by means of good music. Last Sunday evening several churches had the services of leading vocalists,_ and held sacred concerts under the heading of "choral service," "carol service," etc. Personally, I fail to see the difference.

I was not a bit surprised to see certain councillors leave the council chamber and refuse to vote on the question dealing with pictures on Christmas Day when they saw how two of the councillors — viz., Crs Hancock and Hayward—turned a "'somersault" on their previous voting. If councillors are so easily swayed by arguments from a deputation of ministers, all I can say is that we want City Fathers with more " backbone," and I would ask the peneral public to remember this as the election approaches. Will some councillor, now put in a further notice of motion—"That the resolution dealing with Sunday night concerts, at the special meeting of the council held on December 21, be rescinded"? I venture to say that the council will then have every opportunity .of hearing the other side of the qnestion when they next meet.—l am, etc- • Tetjmtkt. December 24.