DUNEDIN BAND WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Grey River Argus, 19 February 1949, Page 3

DUNEDIN BAND WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP

P.A. AUCKLAND, February 18. After holding the lead in the first Test Selection on Thursday night, the St. Kilda Municipal Band outshone the other seven competing bands in the second Test Selection, to win the one hundred guineas cup for the champion band at the New Zealand brass band contest. Another capacity house saw this interesting competition decided -to night, and the reception accorded the winners indicated that a fine impression was made on the Auckland public by the outstanding Dunedin combination. St. Kilda won the championship with 37 points out of a possible 42. Wellington Waterside Silver Band was a fairly close second, and 'Wanganui Garrison Band was third. Fourth place was gained by the Auckland Watersiders Silver Band. The judges were liberal with their praise for the three leading bands, describing their performances as “thrilling’!, and paying a tribute to the standard of playing in New Zealand that they revealed. Twelve bands competed for the C Grade Test Selection. The three placed contestants gave an outstanding rendering, only two points separating first and third bands. The standard declined with the remaining combinations, the best of these being the Wellington Waterside Junior Band. K. G. Smith, of the St. Kilda Municipal Band, who won the cornet championship on Thursday, obtained another crown in the duet, which he won for his band with R. Mowat. The. competition in this event was particularly strong, and with the placed pairs all gaining over 90 points, the standard was very high. To-morrow will see the conclusion of the contest. One of the biggest band displays ever held in Australasia will take place at Eden Park, where 31 bands and 1000 bandsmen will be seen in military displays and in quickstep competitions. It is expected to be one of the most colourful and spectacular band events ever held at Auckland. It will also provide a fitting climax to a contest in which over I 1500 soloists alone have taken part, i and which has provided prize money | amounting to over £BOO. I JUDGE’S COMMENTS To-day's results with the judges’ comments were:-r-CHAMPIONSHIP TEST SELECTION “I hardly know how to express myself alter hearing your champion bands,” said Mr A. H. Baile after the performance. “I would be doing them an injustice if I did not say that they thrilled me.” lie believed that the standard of playing was equal to anything in Australia. After hearing the .solo competitions, he almost envied New Zealand for its wealth of potential champions. It possessed the finest cornetists he had heard for a long time. Mr Baile remarked on the number of soloists who iiad taken part in the contest, and said that they would keen the bands well fed with players. The rendering of t he Carmen selection on Thursday and that of "The Northern Rhapsody” to-night was a credit, and the throe leading bands compared with anything he had heard in Britain. The placings were:— St Kilda Municipal Band, 37 points, 1. Wellington Waterside Silver Band, ■34 points, 2. Wanganui Garrison Band. 30 points, 3. C GRADE TEST SELECTION The selection ‘‘Divertimento,” by Eric Ball, was a good choice for this grade, as it could be played by all of the contestants, said Mr Baile. He commented on the close competition among the three placed bands, whose playing, generally, was quite good for the grade. Twelve bands, including several from ihe country took part. The placings were: — Auckland City Silver Band, 34 points 1. .Masterton Municipal Silver Band, 32 points. 2. Gisborne City Band, 31 points, 3. DUETS Three very fine duet parties, which would hold* tlfeir own anywhere, and in my conmanv, was how Mr Baile described the place-getters in this contest. Ho had heard some line playing, and there was a wealth of talent coming on. The placings were:— St Kilda Municipal Band, No. 1. (K. G. Smith and R. Mowat), 9C 1 °St Kilda Municipal Band, No 2 (J. Bassett and N. Thorn), 94 points 2. Woolston Brass Band (N. G. Got- . fin and D Christensen). 93 points 3.