"BESSES O'TH' BARN" BAND.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 56, 11 March 1910, Page 5

"BESSES O'TH' BARN" BAND.

The forthcoming concert by tne famous Besses o' th' Barn Band, which is aamounoed to take place at the Town Hall O n Tuesday evening next, under the auspices of Messrs J and N. Tait, is an almost assured success. A notable feature of this Band, and one new to New Zealand, is that their instruments, although brass, are all silver-plated. The uniform is a neat one, not particularly showy, dark blue serge with pipings of "old gold" braid, with a flattopped cap piped with red cord. It is said that notwithstanding all that was previously heard of the superlative merits of this great band, their playing upon this occasion will come as a surprise to everybody, and compel them completely to revise their ideas as to the possibilities of brass orchestration. The tone in piano passages is beautifully soft and tender, and everywhere the precision of attack, masterly releases of all notes, the brilliance and finish of the whole band, the exquisite phrasing, and the intrinsic loveliness of the individual parts will be impressed upon the hearer. A march, for instance, has all the predominant merits attaching to the best examples of brass band march music, and in the hands of the "Besses" the fullest justice is done to the intentions of the composer. One of the most successful numbers generally given as an encore is the well-known hymn tune "Lead Kindly Light," the tone produced being sweetly subdued and organ-like in its mellow richness. An arrangement of Bevan's fine song "The Flight of Ages" enables the tremolo bass to be remarkably effective, with the croscendos and diminuendoes to be superbly managed. The box plans are now open at Holcroft's, where seats at 4s may be Looked. The management direct attention to..'the train services arranged on the Picton and Seddoh lines for the occasion.