BESSES O' TH' BARN BAND.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 213, 12 March 1907, Page 2

BESSES O' TH' BARN BAND.

TO DEFINITELY VISIT FEILDING

All doubt about the visit to Feilding. of the worderful Besses o' th' Barn Band are now set at rest, as Mr John H. Tait, of J. and N. Tait, the directors of the tour, stayed in Feilding for a few hours yesterday and desired us to state that the Besses will definitely appear here, aud the date will be announced in a few days, but on account of it being imperative to observe booked dates in Auckland from 25th inst., they will not be able to visit us until between 13th and 17th, April. The Besses can rely upon a hearty welcome here, and no doubt a recoid attendance will hear them if the weather be favourable. Mr Tait said that the tour in the South lies been an absolute triumph, and everywhere they have been they haze easily beaten all records. In Dunedin 30,000 peoplo attended on one occasion, and the gate receipts were over £1000. In Blenheim the new Town Hall was packed to suffocation, and fully 800 people were unable to gain admission. This is but an example of what has taken place everywhere. The playing of the Besses have proved an absolute revelation, and when one beards this remarkable organisation, band music is heard to perfection. Messrs J. N. Tait have a number of highly important attractions for the colony, including the tour of Mdme. Clara Butt (the greatest contralto ever known in musical history), who will be accompanied by her husband, Mr Kennerley Runiford, the famous baritone. This tour starts in September. In May .Miss Marie. Hall, the English violinist, who has had a remarkable career, is also coming out, and will open in Melbourne. The committee of tho Feilding Jockey Club last night received an application from Messrs J. and N. Tait, who are managing the tour of tho Besses-o'-the-Barn Band, for the use of the racecourse on the day the band will perform in Feilding. Mr Richmond also waited on the committee in connection with the application. Ho pointed out that the Drill Hall would not accommodate the crowd that was expected to hear tho performance, and said that Mr Tait, who had visited the racecourse, thought it an admirable place. The performers would be heard to better advantage in the open air than in a building, and, on behalf of those gentlemen who had interested themselves in securing a visit of this famous band to Feilding, he asked the committee to grant the request. Permission to use the grounds was unanimously granted, on condition that si guarantee be given to make good any damage that may occur and that the grounds are cleared up after tho performance.