BANDS AT MORERE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10508, 11 February 1928, Page 9

BANDS AT MORERE

A SUNDAY OUTING. OISROR.NE AND AVATROA .PLAYER- TO ASSEMBLE TO-MORROW. To-morrow an unusual function will 1)0 held nt Morere, when the Gisborne City and AA’nircm .Municipal Bands will meet for the first time in combination. and piav selections during the afternoon. The Waiioa people are leaving no stone unturned to make the day a memorable one. The Wairoa band is fortunate in securing the sendees of Mr Valentine .Matson as conductor. Mr. Matson is a comparatively young man. 35 to 37 years of age, and came to New Zealand from Cheatham,. Manchester, where, in the city there are 34 ordinary hands and 17 Salvation Army hands, a total of 51. 'Air. Matson came to New Zealand for the benefit of his health, landing in Auckland some thre<> years ago, and it says much for the climate of the Dominion. that ever since his arrival he has not visited a medical man. Shortly after lie landed he took over the. eon-, dnetorship. of the Taka puna hand. ■lncidentally, he has wielded (lie conductor's baton since lie was sixteen years of age, when he was in charge of the Hightown Hand. Ifo has p'ayed in the Harpnrkoy Hand and the Cheatham Band, and tin* Hightown Municipal orchestra, and was h-ader of the Most on orchestra. lie also ton reel Ireland with the ('heatham Hand. Mr. Matson is a personal friend of .Mr. Owen, eondm tor itj the Rosses o’ the Barn Hand, which visited New Zealand tit Ihe time of the Internation d Exhibition at Christchurch in 1907. Mr. Matson is also a very successful trombonist, and lias won cimipetttions at the (,‘rystnl Palace against some of thi' best bandsmen in Europe. On April 10 Mr. Matson arrived at Wairoa. and since his arrival there hiis been a marked improvement in the hand, which now consists of 25 instruments.