BANDSMEN’S NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7301, 3 December 1910, Page 13

BANDSMEN’S NOTES.

(By "Magenta.”) COMING CONTESTS. Palmerston North. February, 1911, (about).

PATEA EOEOXJGH BAND. Patea Borough Band (writes "Scribe/), gave a concert last week in aid of its instrument and uniform fund, and a largo audience assembled. I'or weeks the band had. been practising for this concert, and its appearance on the stage for the ur»t time in uniform was tne signal for a warm burst of applause. As the bandsmen hied into their respective positions with their, new • iustruinexiis uiey at once created a very favouiabi© impression. Conductor nuiuert tire oand acquitted itself of its part of the programme witn conspicuous success. The selection “Jveiuiwortn' was its hist item, and from tne iirst beat of the baton it was seen that the conductor had every instrument unuer control. Tne new instruments produced a beautnul tone, and their handling by the oand was. highly creditable. “Uranus/' a bright selection, loiiowei, and this pleasea tne audience so much that an encore was demanded, and “jn carer, My ood, to Tnea". ! given m resi>onse. A septette by members of the ns angauui Gained n had been arranged lor, but some of them had evidently missed the tram, so the quartette that did, put in. an apXiearance -gave “Semiramiue'’ in good style. Needless to say, the Patea Band greatly appreciated such a spirit of comradeship, winch is ’ none too common among bands in some: quarters. The cornet solo, “Give hie .Back my Heart Again/'. by Mr McGrath, and tne tenor horn solo, “ w hen Other juips// proved very fKipaiar items, in bom instances goW uxecduon was shoNviv, and tne peviormer had to 'respond' to Cue inevitable recall. ihe other part of, the programme was got through with great success, and tne Patea iituid is to be congratulated on the excellent way in which all tne arrangementswere carried out. OLLA PODEIDA. The week after Carnival Week in onnscchuicn there was no municixiai ouna concert, and a writer _in a local paper wants to Know >yhy.. Guess three tunes I

At tiie conclusion oi the Palmerston contest Mr william Short, the adjudicator, will return immediately to Australia in time bo eaten a-mail steamer union will iaud mm m Lmulon by uni JiUl OI -U-UlCil.

Comi/hant* mu coinnum as to tlie juadequacy or band aecumnK/duu.on , at juyaii island hay; ana. Newtown Park, ihb one at uy**il Bay is said to be utLeiiy unsuitable, mat at Newtown Park, is a lame, auu there is none at island Bay I . The news of the illness of J. P. Sousa, the lamous American bandmaster, has ucea: received with regret oy buiiusmeu generally. An Australasian tour of m» iniiuury band nu-u been arranged, but this, of course, has been thrown , back niueiiuitely.

Mr A. J. Berryman, conductor of Hastings uown Baud, has resigned his position on account of having embarked on a moving ..picture enterprise -at WestX>ort. Tne baud lias been progressing very oreuitabiy under his ItauershiX', and is desirous of engaging tne services of a successor.

Writes "Harmony": "Apparently Christchurch Tramway Board uoes not intend to eng-ug© bands to-play at the, seaside on Sundays, as no oands have oeen sent To fciunmer or New Brighton so* far this season." •' bo‘; vvellihgtun is not the only piace in Alaoriiana wnere tne 1 ‘'unco' guid" mis© their voice! Foden's Motor Waggon Works Band, the. winners of this year's Crystal Funic© contest, 'has won - in prizes unuer the conaucLoremp of Air' w. naliiweii. Cast year tne band won To celebrate tne band's success at the Crystal Falace contest, Mr Foden, head oi the worhs, gave a dinner to ail tne poor people Tn his district, and gave oacn guest: a pi’esent 01 nve shillings beside.

it seems rather unfortunate that tiioontest piece ror .taUuersion -North suouia he ii\y;n the same wuik as that 1 piayea at Bonedm, via., ■* BAfricaino" laluyeroeer). Boopite Air _ haiaiaw's assurance tnat the two' seiec cions are entirely different, ana airungea by two duferent gentlemen, it would seem tnat any band which contested at Dunedin would have a better idea of the, composer's stylo than-a , band : which only comes across Meyerbeer's work lor the first time at this juncture. ' Tschaikowsky's great overture . “1812" formed an item m tne New bouth 'Wales bcaifi limitary iiaua s programme: ut a recent bunuay aliciuooli concert in Hyde Bark, byuney. . Utner items were March, “vein, Vidi, yici" (.it. B. JliiU); song, “Staudchen"’ tbonubert), solo cornet,. A. Thomas; ‘‘itomimscences ol Balfe" (i\ . Uodirey); clarionet, : solo, '■Scottish Pantasia" (Lazarus), B. w. Graham; valse,■/•‘Cleopatra" (Lablaolie) intermezzo, “Minerva" , ■ (Cniaparcili); selection, “The Arcadians” (Aiouckton;. Mr P. li. Travorsi,; formerly conductor of Ureyinouth Town Band, and wellknown as a brilliant cornetisc (writes ■■'i'r6ihbono"j, has just left: Barrow-in-Purness, 'Lngiand, wnerc ho has lesided doling tile last ten years, and taken, up ah' appointment ofiered him by , the Blanduano District Council as conductor of its famous Silver 1 Band. Air Traversi has done good w'ork in 1 New Zealand, and the tnends he has here will wise him every success in his new .sphere of labour.

The following is a list of winners of the Crystal Paxace contest since tne inauguration of the championship in 1900: IBtrd, Denton Original (A. Owen); 1901, Lee Mount (W. iiwinglcr); 11)02, Black Dike (J. Gladney); lattJ. .Besses-o'-ta'-Barn (A. Owen);, 1904, jjeoburn Colliery (A. Holden); X9ua, Irweli Springs (W. Xtimmer); 19u6, Wingates Temperance (W. Kimmer); 1907, Wingates leaiperanoe (W. Xtimmer); lima, Irweil Springs . (W. Bimnierj; 19u9, snaw (w. it.mme,J; 19X9, r mien's Waggon VVorks tW. llaluucii). : Mr H. Hutcheson, secretary of Petone Municipal Band, wmes:—T notice you state, tuat,Bleuc. i±erd: wieihea tne-baton at tne combined Ccucen given oy Peioiie Municipal and vieiiiagtbn’ uariisun Bands in aid of Mother Alary Auoeit's .tunnel ■ 1 presume you meant for both bauds, but this was not so. A change has taken place in tne couductorsn.p of the local band, and Air ivaye (wno has had some eight years’ Home experience in conducting brass bands, and tvho won the eupnomum euamp.onsmp at. Wanganui contest) conducted tne Petone Band at the concert referred to. Xt may interest you to learn that Air JCaye was recently ofiered the position of conductor of Nelson Garrison Band (the band he played with at Wanganui, and which carried ofi the B grade cham- ■ pionship) at a tempting salary. He declined, preferring to remain with the X'ctone Band."

Ashburton Temperance Band's presence at tire Palmerston contest is p;actually assured (writee “lonf Tom"). Tlie aaad ii at pre-seat in splendid leule," tae addition oi sereral players auim-* tile last six moatas . having materially strengthened it. Xsew cornetists are Mr il. A. ilumpnieys, late of Ashyuiion County : Band, and Mr H. Freeman, of Mosgiel, and it is understood that ill VV. G. McDonald, one, time solo cornet player for the old Ashburton Brass Band, is likely to make the trip to Palmerston North.; These, with the band's old solo cornet players (Messrs Beitch,