GARRISON BAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 75, 24 February 1930, Page 2

GARRISON BAND.

LEAVES FOR DUNEDIN TO-DA’V. ) The Palmerston North Garrison IBand left on Saturday to attend the an)nual New Zealand band contest, which is lpeing held at Dunedin this year. The corrjbination consists of 28 members, including the conductor, Mr R. Cox, and Mr ;A. J. Berryman, who has been engaged as,'a cornet soloist. The local band is always a forc«» to be reckoned with in the quickstep. Tlie band has gained some successes in the past, notably when it won the B grade championship many years ago. In 1911, the first year that Mr A. J. Berryman -Was conductor, they also did particularly well at the Gisborne contest, annexing well over £IOO in prize money in the A {trade division. Last year they also did' -■veil, particularly in the quick step, and were fifth in the A grade aggregate. There have been some changes ip the personnel since last year owing to the addition of younger members, who have graduate! from the junior band, which ha 6 proved a valuable adjunct. T The band has had a somewhit chequered existence. Some 40 years atfo there were two band* in Palmerston North, the Palmerston North Brass Band|ij|and the Citizens’ Band, but the latter fell on hard timos and 22 years ago w«Bt out of existence, being incorporated with the other combination. After the war the band began to suffer financially,/and about five years ago it became the -Palmerston North Municipal Band and wea subsidised by the Borough Council. Ita financial position re. mained unsatisfactory, however, until about 2£ years ago when r- citizens’ committee was formed with tbo desired results. Placed on ' a firmer standing, the band again became highly, popular. About 18 months, ago negotiations were completed and the combination was attached to the 6th (Manawatu) Mounted Rifles, now the Manawatu Mounted Rifles, under the name of the Palmeraipn North Garrison Band, the title it still bears. Other bands, including the Hastings Municipal Ba-ld and Queen Alexandra Band (Wangi-nui), have passed through Palmerston North lately on their way south.