CITY SILVER BAND

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 181, 1 July 1938, Page 3

CITY SILVER BAND

SOLO COMPETITION. On Tusday evening the Palmerston North City Silver Band room was well filled with bandsmen and members of the public, when the third of a series of solo competitions was conducted. Earlier in the year a hymn solo test and a slow melody solo had been decided. Tuesday’s event was a theme with variations, the aggregate points of the three competitions to decide the holders of several medals and trophies. In the senior section the winner is to hold the C. J. Boyce Shield, which was presented for annual competition by the bandsman whose name it carries.

Mr A. J. Berryman held the position of adjudicator. The junior section was dealt with first and proved the surprise of the evening, boys of about 14 years of age performing with credit to themselves on such instruments as the E flat bass and bass trombone. Mr Berryman stated that there was undoubted talent shown which was worth cultivating, and this, besides being very encouraging to the competitors, must have been a source of satisfaction to the conductor, Mr W. O’Hara, who personally undertakes the training of the juniors. The band is fortunate in having such promising young players in training to eventually fill gaps in the senior ranks. The good tone produced by this group was particularly commented on by Mr Berryman. The first four placings in the junior section were in the following order: T. Mechen, cornet, “Weiderkehr”; I. Marshall, tenor born, “Kelvin Grove’’; H. Sutton, tenor horn, “Aloha Oe”; H. Bear, bass trombone, “Song That Beached My Heart.’’ The competition for the shield was keen and resulted in Mr G. Hansen being placed at the top, he having played the introduction, theme, and variations of “Fatherland” as a cor-

net solo. Mr B. Bobin was second, playing “Weiderkehr” on tbe tenor horn. Mr B. Walls filled third place with a very nice rendering of “The Gipsy’s Warning” on tbe euphonium. Mr H. Newth, on the tenor trombone, playing “Busy Morn,” and Mr C. Boyce with “Oh, Lovely Night,” as a baritone solo, tied for fourth place. There was a separation of only six points from the first to the fourth placings. On leaving the judge’s box to announce the results Mr Berryman was greeted with applause. As a player of very wide experience, he said, he had listened with a great deal of pleasure to ,the performances. All the solos played were well known to him, and, commenting on the senior division, he said the playing was uniformly good. His criticisms were listened tov with great attention, and were invariably of a constructive nature, calculated to assist rather than discourage. Mr Berryman expressed his willingness to officiate in a similar capacity later in the year, when a further, series of soio competitions will be commenced.

The judge’s individual written reports were in great demand and gave complete satisfaction.

The officers of the band thanked Mr Berryman for his services and commented on the smooth running of the competition, there being a minimum of delay between each solo.