BAND CONTEST

Evening Star, Issue 22806, 15 November 1937, Page 7

BAND CONTEST

B AND C GRADE TESTS BTRGHG REPRESENTATION OF PIPERS GORE'S DOUBLE SUCCESS IN QUICKSTEP Six brass bands and seven pipe bands participated in the annual contest sponsored by the Southland and Otago Provincial B and C* Brass and Pipe Bands’ Association on Saturday. In the afternoon there were quickstep contests at Carisbrook, the test events being decided at His Majesty’s in the evening. A crowd of about _ 2,000 saw the bands parade at Carisbrook, and followed with close interest their marching and music, A marked superiority in drill gave the Gore Municipal Band the. honours in the B quickstep. There was little between the other competitors, St. Joseph’s Band scoring the highest marks for music. The West Harbour Band got home by 10 points from the Port Chalmers in the C grade quickstep. The pipe bands in the two provinces are not graded, and accordingly were finally judged on a handicapping system, which brought about a very close finish in the quickstep. Gore, with 10 points in hand on handicap, just managed to head off the strong Dunedin band (on scratch) by a quarter of a point, another Southland band, the Caledonian, of Invercargill, taking- third place. The bands generally went through their marching evolutions with smartness and J decision. The pipers looked particuarly well, creating a colourful and striking effect. There was a fair audience at His Majesty’s in the evening. St. Joseph’s annexed the B grade test, with two point* more than Gore, which, however, took the aggregate. They were .well ahead of the other two bands. Only one point separated the two C grade competitors Port Chalmers, beaming West Harbour. These positions were reversed in the aggregate._ The Dunedin Highlanders were first in the pipe test, second place going to the Invercargill Caledonian Band. As both were on scratch these were excellent performances. ' Of the trophies, the Challenge Shield, presented by Messrs Charles Begg and Company for the highest points in the B test selection, went to St. Joseph’s, which also took the cup given by the Dunedin Contest Committee , for the hymn; West Harbour won the Challenge Cup for the C band with highest points in the test selection. The Dunedin Highland Pipe Band carried off the Collie Memorial Cup (highest points in music in quickstep and selection) and the John Gold Memorial Shield (highest aggregate). ~ The judges of the contest were Mr W. H. Osborne, of Ashburton (brass bands), and Mr J* A. Patterson, of Christchurch (pipe bands). Among those present was Mr J. G, Osborne, secretary of the New Zealand Brass Bands’ Association. Mr Osborne remarked after the contest tbat he was extremely pleased to •note in the evening performances, particularly in the B grade, a marked improvement on the afternoon marches. The B test selection (Hubert Bath’s ‘ Songs of Old England ’) was a rather exacting one, and the bands "generally made a good job of it. The winning band gave quite a brilliant performance, and was run very close by Gore. The C grade bands gave a fair interpretation of a rather difficult selection, and again the improvement on the afternoon was clear. The hymns did not have the requisite fervour or intensity. Mr Patterson thought that the general stand of the pipe bands in the quickstep was fair, many effects being spoilt by the fact that the bands were not properly tuned. Most of the bands rnshed through their 6-8 movements and did not pay enough attention to the first note of each bar.

The winning bands in the quickstep were above the others in investing their music with more feeling. The bands were in better tune in the evening, but most of them were inclined to play the slow march too fast and not give it the 'necessary expression. The strathspey time was good throughout, but again there was not enough attention, to the first notes of the bar. Some played reels that were too hard for them. One or two were very weak, hnt the quality was there and could he developed if more attention were paid te tuning. Detailed results:— QUICKSTEP CONTEST. B GRADE.

.2 *2 J. b a Gore Municipal Band, (Mr E, T. Eastwood) 174* 103 to g Total. Et. Joseph’s ' Brass Band (Mr D. Whelan) . ... 162 104 266 .Green Island Munici- . psd Band (Mr J. A. Brown) ... ... 1662 98 264* Band of the First Battalion, Southland Regiment (Air A. C-. Smart) 162J 100 262* 0 GRADE. 'C ft (We»t Harbour Brass Band (Mr R. Ham) 159 6 1 ■a 96 "3 £ 254 [Port Chalmers Marine Band (Mr J. Gilbert) 151 93 244 ! PIPE BANDS. 1 ■ -• 4 'u Q a Gore Pipe Band (Mr W. R, J. Pollock) 170* 81 ■ S* 3 ■ 2 o W H 10 261* Dunedin Highland Pipe "Band (Mr G. Maher) 1812 79* _ 2612 Caledonian Pipe Band of Southland (Mr O. Henderson) ...170 85 255 ITaieri Pipe Band (Air S. Gibson) ... 162i 75* 17 2542 Momona Pipe Band (Mr D. T. Gordon) 153* 74 23 250* Palmerston Pipe Band (Mr H. Pearson) 146* 62* 23 232 Balclutha Pipe Band (Mr D. M Tarlane) 1382 82 11 2312

EVENING TESTS. B GRADE. a O O s ■ d a *3 O EH w o H St. Joseph’s Brass.Band (Mr Whelan) ... ... 112 121 233 Gore Municipal ■ Band (Mr E. Smith) 111 120 231 Southland - (Regimental Band (Mr A. M‘Mastcr) 106112 ' 218 Green Island Municipal .(Mx T. M'Lean), ... 103 109 213

—Aggregate.— , d* jg rS O • •3 *5 o 0 <y H H Gore ... ... ...■ 277} 120 397} St. Joseph’s 266 121 387 Southland Regimental 262} 112 374} Green Island 264} 109 373}

c GRADE. S3 8 ’o o S a % C5 O Pori Chalmers (Mr G. K o H Patterson) 110 101 211 West Harbour H. Logie) ... (Mr E. 108 102 210 —Aggregate.— ST o u 'o "c; O c Hi O O' o H West Harbour 254 102 356 Port Chalmers ... 244 -101 345

PIPE BANDS. +2 4 13 •5 *0 ft. W H Dunedin Highland (Mr C. Walker) 9G — 96 Southland Caledonian (Mr 11. C. Sutherland) t 8 5) — 851 Momona (Mr L. J. Gamble) 70 J 14 841 Balclutha (Mr D. M‘Farlane) 79) 5 841 Gore (Mr J. B. Knox) 751 • 4 791 Xaieri Pipe Band (Mr J. C. Renton) 7U 8 79) Palmerston (Mr W. Campbell) M ... 041 14 781

—Aggregate.— d a* a -p *3 o - 0 O’ H H Dunedin , ... ... . .. 2614 96 . 357J Gore ... • .. 2614 79} 341 Invercargill Gale- .. ' donian .. 255 85} 340} Momona .. 250} 84} 335 Taieri .. 2541 79} 334} Balelulha . .. 231J 84} 316} Palmerston ... . .. 232 ■ 78} 310}