GARRISON BAND

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 306, 25 November 1937, Page 8

GARRISON BAND

INSTRUMENTS PRESENTED

INTERESTING HISTORY,

Iu the presence of a large gathering of the citizens at the rotunda in the Square on Tuesday, the presentation of the new instruments to the Garrison Bund was made by the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford). Among those present ivcro Messrs J. A. Nash, president of the band, and Colonel J. H. Whyte.

Mr Nash expressed the band’s thanks to those present for their interest and said that for some time past it lmd been suffering from lack of instruments with which to participate in the contests. At the last two contests the band had been ill the position of having to borrow instruments. The committee wished to thank the Mayor and the Palmerston .North City Coun cil for its donation of £SO. Although the sum required had not quite been reached, he felt confident that it would not be long before the debt was liqui dated.

Mr Nash then called upon Mr Mans, ford to perform the ceremony of handing over the instruments. _ “It came as a surprise to the council, as I know it must have done to you, to know that some of tho bandsmen at the last contest played with borrowed instruments and others with instruments which had been repaired with adhesive tape,” said the Mayor. “Of course, any baud so handicapped could hardly be expected to win a contest. Such disheartening conditions will now be a thing of the past and we will now expect them to register another win.” THE EARLY HAYS.

Referring to the history of the band, the Mayor said it had been formed over 53 years ago and was then known as the Palmerston North Municipal Band. Its lirst conductor was Mr R, Curreen. Four of the original members, Messrs E. R. B. Holben, F. Kirk, D. Charker and J. Brophy, still remained in Palmerston North. The band had attended its first concert in 1898, when it had played under the baton of the late Mr F. Meyrick. Six bands had competed, among them being one from Wairoa. “Tho Wairoa Ba.nd started out, but in those days there were no bridges, and they travelled by horse and trap,” related Mr Mansford. “Owing to the flooded state of the rivers the majority of the men lost their instruments in fording these rivers and only two men arrived at the contest. The adjudicator was Mr Swartz, who was a. string band judge and not a brass band judge. The judge had gout and so he was put on a couch on the stage with a screen surrounding him. The Palmerston North trombone player, Mr J. Jones, suffered acutely from nerves and, a.s he had a solo to play, the conductor arranged with Mr P.

Tombs, the euphonium player, to take his part if lie- failed. Mr Jones duly had a bud attack of nerves and Mr Tombs rendered his part on the euphonium. At the end of the test the nidge said that there was only one. band in the trombone solo which ha.d a true trombone note and that was the Palmerston North band.” There was in those duys, Mr Mansford added, only one grade—A grade, It was due to the efforts of Mr Holben, who was then secretary of the Brass Bands’ Association, that the B gra.do wag introduced, and he had secured the shield which was contested for for many years. In the early days tho band practices were held in Mr J. Jones’s stables, the players using kerosene boxes ns seats. Later they practised in a- shop belonging, to Mr C. Pickering. After the lapse of several years a section at the rear of the Opera House was secured for £25 or £3O and the first hall was erected by a working bee. From funds raised by an art union this hall was added to until it became the Band Hall as it wn.s today. The Mayor recalled that in 1928 the band’s name was changed to the Palmerston North Garrison Band and it became a regimental ba.nd. The instruments it was using were ones used by a regimental band during the Great War. “In 1934 the band was successful in winning the A grade contest and I am sure that it is the wish of all that, with these new instruments, the band will bo successful in winning the 1938 content, which is to be held in Palmerston North,” added Mr Mansford. Tho Mayor then presented the band with tho new set or instruments. CONDUCTOR’S THANKS. Lieutenant C. Pike, the conductor, stated that the land Avas grateful for the instruments and expressed the hope that it would merit the confidence of the citizens. Mr Nash announced that two of the original members of the band of fifty years ago, Messrs F. Kirk a.nd J. Brophy, were present'. He then called for three cheers for the Mayor. At tho conclusion of the presentation, the band played a programme which enabled its hearers to gain an idea of the tone of the new instruments. It will be three or four months before it will be.possiblo to judge to what extent the instruments have improved the standard of play, however. The following was the programme presented: March, “The Elephant”; fox-trot, “Up the Hill to Happy Days”; selection from Beethoven; gavotte, "Rendezvous”; Oriental scene, “In the Sudan”; march, "Gladiator.”