DOMINION BAND CONTEST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18950, 23 February 1925, Page 12

DOMINION BAND CONTEST

OPENING EVENTS TO-DAY. A MUSICAL FESTIVAL. FIRST TEST THIS EVENING. Fully 1000 bandsmen arc now assembled m Auckland front Australia and parts of the Domihion, all eager for the opening of the New Zealand Championship Band Contest which commences this morning. This six-day festival should provide the people of Auckland with a week of firstclass band music, and provided the weather remains fine for tho more spectacular outdoor events which arc to be held in the Domain, the contest should prove an undoubted attraction. Tho visiting bandsmen will bo officially welcomed at the Town Hall council chamber at 12.15 p.m., to-day, when the Deputy-Mayor, Mr. G. Baildori, will tender a civfc reception' to the contestants. Throughout the week the full band events will be held at the Domain in the evenings, where special arrangements have been made for the accommodation of the public; while the solo competitions will be held in the Town Hall concert chamber and in the Society of Arts Hall. Tho programme for to-day includes the B fiat baritone solo at the Arts Hall and the E flat cornet solo at the concert chamber, both these competitions being set down for the morning commencing at 9 o'clock the Flugel horn solo at tho Arts Hall and the trombone trios at the concert chamber in the afternoon. The attraction for the evening will be the first test in tho A grade division, which will commence at the Domain at 6.30 p.m. The test piece is " Eroica " and 16 bands have entered for the cveDt, including the famous Malvern Tramway Band, Melbourne. The B grade contest will be held on Tuesday and tho C grade on Wednesday, 17 bands having entered for tho former and nine for the Is,tier. The star attraction of tho contest, however, is the B flat cornet solo championship which will take placo at tho Town Hall on Wednesday evening. There are 62 entries for this event. The judges for the contest arc Mr. Percy Code, of Melbourne, who will adjudicate in the full band events and in the open championship cornet solo event, and Mr. E. Smith, of the South Island and Mr. Phil Mohr, of Auckland, who will share the judging in the solo sections. Mr. Code visited New Zealand in 1915 when he judged tho band contest at Christchurch. Mr. Smith is an old contest trainer and a player of note, while Mr. Mohr was formerly well known as a cornel player and bandmaster. THE VISITING BANDS. MUSIC IN THE PARKS. The people of Auckland were treated to more band music yesterday than they have enjoyed for many years and the parks where visiting bands were playing were thronged listeners. The announcement that the Malvern Tramway Band was to play in the Domain drew crowds yesterday afternoon and evening, while tho two programmes played at Carlaw Park by the Timaru Garrison Band proved no less popular. Many hundreds more wcro entertained at the Zoological Gardens where the Auckland Municipal Band played a well-arranged programme and the Temperance Guards Band gave a recital at the Eilerslie racecourse. People journeyed from all parts of the city and suburbs to hear the Malvern Band at the Domain. In the afternoon many hundreds of cars were parked along the edge of the Domain and the terraces overlooking the cricket ground were crowded with spectators. The playing of the band which has won the championship of Australia on several occasions was greatly appreciated. No less appreciative were the crowds that assembled at Carlaw Park to listen to the excellent music by the Timaru Band. This combination secured first place at the Auckland Exhibition band contest, and with the Malvern Band is taking part in the New Zealand championship band contest which opens in Auckland to-day.