BAND CONTESTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 February 1928, Page 5

BAND CONTESTS

THE FINAL AWARDS GREYMOUTH'S HIGH PLACE • (Per Press Assentation.) CHRISTCHURCH, February 26. The Band Contest was brought to a close on Saturday, when the A Grade Quickstep was decided, also the final of the B Flat Cornet Championship, and the competition for Champion of Champions in the various solo competitions heard during the contest. The weather was perfect for the Quickstep, and a huge crowd witnessed a brilliant spectacle. The winner of . this year’s Dominion Championship is the Queen Alexandra’s Own, Wanganui, with Woolston second, and Greymouth third. The Band Contest has been an unqualified success, and it is generally conceded to have been one of the best ever held in the Dominion. Saturday’s results were as follo-w: — A GRADE QUICKSTEP Woolston: Drill IS3, music 94, total 277. Queen Alexandra’s Own (Wanganui) Drill 174|, mtftiic 91, total 2652. Wellington Tramways: Drill 1782, music 86, total 2642. St. Kilda (Dunedin), Drill 184?;, music 80, total Greymouth Municipal Drill 1702-, music 84, total 254?.. Kaikoura (Dunedin): Drill 177*5, music 74, total 251 J. Christchurch Municipal: Drill 1653;. music 76, total 241 J. DOMINION CHAMPIONSHIP Queen Alexandra's Own: Tests 291, Quickstep 91, aggregate 382. Woolston: Tests 280, Quickstep 94, aggregate 374. Greymouth: Tests 2SI, Quickstep 84, aggregate 365. Wellington Tramways. Tests 274, Quickstep 86, aggregate 360. Kaikorai: Tests 285, Quickstep 74, aggregate 359. St. Kilda: Tests 269, Quickstep SO, aggregate 349. Christchurch Municipal: Tests 269, Quickstep 76, aggregate 329.

B. FLAT CORNET CHAMPIONSHIP

Goodall (Wellington Tramways) 98. points, 1. G. Bergerson (Queen Alexandra’s Own) 96 points 2. H. F. Vincent (Greymouth Municipal) 93 points 3. CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS W. R. Coughlan, Kaikorai (E. Flat Bass) 89 points 1. E. G. Williams Woolston (Trombone) 88 points 2. R. Simpson, Christchurch Municipal (Cornet) 85 points 3. Also competed: W. J. Nelson, Kaikorai (Baritone) 84; G. Lowry, Kaikorai (Flugel Horn) 83; C. S. Hansen, Woolston (BB Flat Bass*) 81; W. Ray, Wellington Tramways (B. Flat Cornet) 71. CONTEST SHIELD The Queen Alexandra’s Own takes the Dominion Championship Shield, the Boosey Trophy, and the Besson and Dominion Shields, for the Band gaining the highest aggregate points in test selections and music in the quickstep. The Hawke’s Bay Shield, for the Band gaining the highest aggregate points in the test selections and th'e quickstep (including drill) goes to Woolston.

NOTES BY EXPERT.

(Special to "Star.”)

CHRISTCHURCH, February 27.

The Greymouth Municipal Band was third to appear in the Quickstep. They looked well and played v’ell. They went the 100 yards test in 59 3-ssecs., 121 paces, a line performance. Some prlrts of the drill were evidently faulty, as they v r ere allotted ten points less than St. Kilda, who were top in drill with 184 1-5. Woolston got 183, and Wellington Tramways 178£. No doubt Woolston’s meritorious win was deserved. For music they got 94, solid steady rendering. They were the only band to cover the distance in 60 seconds dead, paces 122. When the cornet championship was held in the evening, Vincent showed signs of fatigue of the heavy week, and did not do himself justice, as the judge said the playing was a chapter of accidents. Goodall, the old West Coast player, put up a brilliant performance. ,There was no question who won. It was practically a flawless rendering. The Judge (Mr. W. S. King) gave great praise to L. Carruthers, trombone, boys’ section, on Friday, an’d said the tone was of the best quality, and he had a. groat playing future ahead. '

The contest week was wonderfully successful from all viewpoints. •

Vincent won the Gunner Memorial Medal, and tied with Wills (Invercargill) for hte highest South Islander in the ordinary B. fiat cornet competition. The play-off was aranged for Saturday, but Wills defaulted. Vincent. played and was awarded the medal.

COMPARISON WITH AUSTRALIA.

CHRISTCHURCH, February 21. • “The A Grade bands could hold their own in a contest with Australian combinations, and judging by the playing at the last Sydney contest, there is only one band which could compare with the .first three Dominion ones,” states Mr E. Jackson, of Brisbane, who was judge of the concerted work, and of the cornet solo championship at the New Zealand coiftest which concluded on Saturday. The Australian band to which Mr Jackson referred was the newly fronted combination from Hamilton, a small mining town near Newcastle. The first three 'New Zealand bands which he declared were better than any in Australia save the Hamilton Band, are Queen Alexandra’s Own (Wanganui), Kaikorai (Dunedin) and the Greymouth Municipal.

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