CITY BAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 10064, 31 July 1925, Page 6

CITY BAND.

ANNUAL MEETING

Tho annual meeting of the Gisborne City Band was held in the Band Room last evening. As it is now 50 years since the establishment of the Band in this district the meeting took tho form of a jubilee lunction and many old ex-members and adherents of tne Band were present. Many congratulatory messages were received including one from tiie local Salvation Army Band. Mr W. F. Cederwall presided. The report and balance-sheet showing a most satisfactory financial position were adopted without discussion. The election of officers resulted as follows: Patron, Mr W. F. Cederwall; president, Mr. F. It. Ball; vice-presidents, Messrs G. Wildish, T. Adair, G. Smith, G. S. Staff, It. Robb, M. L. Foster, I. Mirfield, G. Lomas; Bandmaster, Mr H. Murphy; Band Sergeant, Mr M. V. Bell; Band Corporal, Mr J. Sawyer; Brum Major, Mr. J. McLaughlin; custodian, Mr B. Markie; Quartermaster,. Mr H. Nunns; treasurer, Mr H. Halliwell; secretary, Mr H. Nunn; committee, Messrs W. K. Coleman, B. L. Wallace, A. Gardiner, B. P. Johnstone; lion auditor, Major Beere; hon. solicitor, Mr E. J. Chrisp; hon. accountant, Mr S. Lewis; librarian, Mr C. iPridey. , . The chairman said that during the past few years the Band had had a citizens’ committee to assist it in placing the finances on a satisfactory oas.s. Now that the finances of the Band were sound tho necessity toy the committee had ceased to exist. The bandsmen, however, thought that a finance committee should be set up. The Baud’s assets were now free and vested in trustees. The Borough ■Council had assisted during the past year. They had given £3o° per year lor several years and this year the subsidy had been increased to £6O. The assets belonged in a way to the piiblid and the bandsmen thought a committee should be set up to take charge of the finances of the Band. Mr O. Ambridge aeked whether the trustees could not , successfully carry out the duties of a finance committee.

It was finally decided to elect a finance committee and the following members were elected: Messrs I. R. Ball, H. Bright, Jas. Chrisp, A. T. Jones, W. K. Coleman', B. L. Wallace, A. Gardiner, M. V. Bell, and tho Borough Council to ho asked to appoint a representative. At the conclusion of the business of the meeting several toasts were honored. In proposing a toast to the President. Mr O. H. Ambridge, expressed the regret of the members that Mr Cederwall would not accept the position of president for a further term During the time in which he had held the position, said the speaker, Mr Oederwall had zealously guarded their interests and he had spared no effort to help in every possible way to further the interests of tho band. (Applause)'. Mr Cederwall. in reply, said that tho success of the Band rested with the bandsmen themselves. It lay with them to produce results and make the Band worthy of Gisborne, then thev would have no difficulty in receiving the support of the citizens. The toast to “Old Bandsmen” was hono'-od and in replying to the toast to “Kindred Bandsmen” Bandmaster Stein, of the Salvation Army Band gavo some much appreciated hints to tlm younger members of the Baud. The toast to “Mr A. T. Jones” late chairman of the Band, was honored with enthusiasm and many eulogistic remarks made by several of the members of tho way in which Mr Jones had worked in the interests of tho Band. \

FIFTY-TWO YEARS AGO

FORMATION OF GISBORNE CITY BAND. INCIDENTS IN EARLY. DAYS. At the jubilee meeting of the Gisborne City Band last evening, Mr. J. Chrisp read an interesting account of tho activities of tho band s.nce its formation. The band, lie said, was formed at IvOtiUl and (Makaraka) during the year 1873, and was called the Roseland Town Band. The practices were held in the late Mr. Tom Uren’s house ■{chimney still standing) near the Makaraka corner. The membership was seven men. Mr Atcherly (picolo player) was elected bandmaster, and he had two cornet players and. one Eh tenor horn, euphonium, Eh bass and side drum. Frequently the bandsmen rowed down tho Taruheru river to Mr. Bedford Sherriff’s house at tne corner of Aberdeen Road and Lytton Read:. Mr. Allan McDonald M.H.R. and Mr. C. A. deLautour both lived later in the house, which still stands. One evening an accident occurred t-o the euphonium during a visit down tho river," making the instrument useless, and at that time the finances of the ’ hand could not stand the purchase cost of a new-instrument. The transferred their instalments to Gisborne early in 1874, Mr. Atcherly sti 1 retained the conductorship of the band and lmd with him Harry Reid, Tom Mogridgo (cornets), R. Thelwafl (horn, also secretary), Tom Uren (euphonium) and Shipworth (bass). Practices were held in the old Theatre 1 (Gardner’s auction mart.). To February 1878 a meeting was

field in the Mayor's office (Mr. W. F. Crawford) to re-organ : se the hand. There was a large attendance of 20, Sir. Crawford in' the chair. It was decided to organise a first-class hand, and 15 new members enrolled, making a total of 21. Mr. Tom Fa ram (solo cornet) was elected conductor, salary £SO per annum. Mr. Faram asked the members for an assurance that they would regularly attend pract'ees for 12 months. This assurance was given. Some of the new members were T. Faram. Carter, H.

Peed. Nash (jnr.\ J. Whiteley, B. Sherriff. T 5. Nash, Cox, Rohh, Good, Dawson. Jas. Dalv, Dunfoy, J. pierce and Anderson The instnunoips from the okl hand ’were inspected. Thero was three Eh tenor horns, one Bb fiugel, one Bb "baritone (circular), one euohonimn, a’M nn« Eh bass. Captain Reid off-rod to present the In nd w’th a

h-ss flr’-’ii. (This was L'Vcn Inter.) tfY-j-jf.,:-, Porte 1 ' ns f.lie. surviving trustee of the eld band (defunct) said +v, rr „ v - nc , a debt sti’l standing of £5. *Tho«« nwsnnt, resolved to pay the debt nrd take ever the old instrument- ami further to order several rev- tend instruments with together vr'er sever-1 privately-owned cornets .should moke a good hand. C’tizens canvassed for funds, and the pnVp 'snoport. was excellent. A fine rev imndroooi was bu'lt at the post of c '.‘ s “ in the centre of the blocP diy Palmer,st.qp Road ..,-d Ahv-dr-'n Road, Ornnrvon and ,T>isr«p!f streets. Captain Porter * ,n nt to Wellington and purchased f’’e new instruments, wh-'ch co r- t £BO. m| 'o,- nrr : V(*d hv the s.s. Taupo. Tim fo’lowing trustees were e’ecteo: n \v W lTV ter. and T. W. nr,cl Mr.’-W. F- Orawford The hr” 1 mas named the ,T Batterv Rand a”d the Garrison Rend. °t which" + aric. - T! tat ion was a’lowed hve memh”'"-’ n 1 J'ip Hard at £2 caHi oer an-i *' v '~. '""a hand ms. p+tacho'’ l +o the 7. r ee Per---O r r nonc , [ P.'fles, .. G'.shf^tTipydndets. The hard he-e,- 11 nder military control, attended a larho number of narades in the (.prjvvfi n A hordeen Roed' (JV-tarical - and fit the drill hall. Cusf.r.ri'; g fleet D-, pceas’on .shprFv' after’fhe , hand .\b?d ~ bean reformed: a .parade v ' hey on the Oudeh’s- hi-thdav in " Street Reserve, .- whero-;fdlie y:rniy . ./A . ;. (yhf';. ' h.hi ' ;-;Z .* '*(s<s :

Public Works and Supreme Court bu.ld.ngs now stand. The only tune the band could play was “God Save the King,”: but they made up for it in appearance in their pew grey unifrom with red plumes in the sliakos. About that time J. East, T. Wiltshire J. Hall, A. Taylor, J. Preston, A. H. Gillman Ovenden and H. Clayton joined the band. The following gentlemen have since acted as conductors: Messrs Poppellwell, Jas. Brown. Thos. Morrison, M. L. Foster, Jas. Chrisp, A. R. Don, A. E. Lawrence I Davies. Chas. Chesterman, Geo. 1 Douglas, H. H. Langtry A. E. Lawrence, H. Murphy (acting). The City Band has attended several band contests in New Zealand, the iiirst being at Masterton under Mr. M. It. Foster, and later at Hastings. Auckland, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Gisborne. Wanganui, Nelson, Wellington, and again Auckland, winning the B grade and gaining several good positions and gaining prizes. Perhaps tho most interesting experience of the hand was that of attending the funeral of the late Mayor Ropata at Waiomatatini (Port Awanui). The trip was made in the Government steamer Hiuemoa. Yeais ago several marine excursions were made to assist the hand revenue. Ihe trip to Boat Harbor, stones from which may he used for our new harbor was "a great financial success, the’ s.s. Tia Ton, leaving the wharf with manv hundred's of excursionists. The band" expected to provide the music but the rolling ocean interfered with the bandsmen. Many successful moonlight trips were made around tho hay in the tender s.s. Waihi. The band has also made several trips up the East Coast as far as Wa.ipiro and had financial success. Throughout its history the public has loyally supported the hand, and local musical talent has been fieely given. The Gisborne Operatic society donated £220 to the hand, being the nett profits from the producaion of “The Country Girl. ’ _ At the conclusion Mr. Chrisp was accorded a hearty vote of thanks on the motion of the chairman (Mr. W. F. Cederwall.