BANDSMEN'S NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7336, 14 January 1911, Page 8

BANDSMEN'S NOTES.

(By "Magenta.") ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. E..-V.G. —Glad to hear from you at any time, but why fall away as you did? Even a record of a practice is of value, so now you know. "Marmion."—Thanks for paper. Will be only too glad to reciprocate. The more baud scrioes the better. T.H.—Always welcome. Best wishes for success. THE "SMOKIER" ACCOMPANIST. Wretched the lot of the. Musical Man who tac-Klcs tiie Ivory iCeys, He finds tuat the .Smyers for whom he may play are uwiuuy Hard to pieatte; If he s piujiug a son a wnicli is wutten m "Xj." uit Siiiyer is certain to say—- " Old Cliup, mat. is oceans too low lor mo—will ;ou knt-Ujy restart it in "A'"r So starting nsain with a thundering Chord, lie Uiius he is playing aiuue, Tho \ ocaL.-.t's urfjris nave umsiieu witn An, or at moat ran a Jitan-stricken moan; Then an aud.bio whisper comes floating aio-ig, "Ju»i start ner pieubu, in. U" (And tuis is a Truth, for since I was a joum, it utu-n nas happened to ine). When floundering round in a chaos ol s-jiinu, me b.irjbr ayam tries u.s art, While ui\> lour at roe h^rribie uore, anu iiiiaily rear up and start; Tho I'ianist s.ts at tne ironr, of the Keys, and here is- tne strange laie 1 tell— Thougu tne Singer may say that he sang it ui "A"—iue 1-iuaist inuugnt it wais "h." —"Musical Piogress." OLLA PODRIDA. The band of the Inniskilling Fusilierfa (4tii hSiiLtiuion) has uuutd ma ancient HJSii pipes to its liioiruinentauon.

Uhristcnureh Garnson jjand lias been pia-yuia at tne Doy rieouts' camp outside tne ony. A gooa move! tiays ail oxcJiaiijje cynically :—Bandsmen h'Jio uuu every i=Ki-n !>ouu yet tile reputation ul Having opiciwuu juugincat. r

(Vauganui Garrison Band had an offer suuuut.-i.-u to it to give a ber.es oi concords .a *jhiibtcnurcn, out nad to ae-cjui-e oiving to iue muuiiity of several niumoera —all sOiO.su,—to yet away so soun on tne nevrs oi tne uaUarut con-ic-it.

A new feature is introduced in llawke a.ud Sun's uuutl journal, "iius.cai Progress." It is entitled "Selections : Grave and Gay,"' anu coiisibts entirely 01 musical anecdotes anu joKes, must of wmcn are new. in next wteH's issue some of uiem will be leprintea. A recent caoio message from Honifc stated taut every teat was soid lor a ti.uoua oi Suu s a conceits, in jLondon, i.men was inaugurated on January'zn-d. it is. giaimying to Know' tnut tne ■jvuarca nas 'recovered- lrom 'the ser.ous unless reported some tune ago, aim we, in ■ luo -'liit.tJcxies may looiv lornaid with coniiaeu'cu to a visit nom ixniui'ica s famous uii'ud during its'itinerary. ;. ; ..... ; -,- ,

Chivstchurch Working Men's. Club aeuurirti tne services .Ox Herry's Private cmnd for jNew. i tear's Jive, and a hue programme- 01 rnus.c \ms played on the lawn, (.ra.iing a lawn, .tne vv elimgioh >v.al.C. imgut arraCge tor a bund performance on trie roo-r sonie line evening.) x'nero was a mil niuoter oL players, ana tne programme included tue ";6ainpa" and "inniam leu" selections. xne pia/ikg of tno national airs and "Aula rjmiDg oyns" at tne stroke of twelve (.rt'nits. 'xoin Tom") was excellently timed, and many volunteer vocalists sung tne lneiov* with zest. The .National Headquarters Staff Band of tne oatvation Army recently paid a visit to tno laige penal esuiuiisuinent Known as ir'entr.u.ge stockauo. Xne i>riSuners listened attentively to the piuy-ln-g a,ad sinking Dy tne oajidsmen. Iffis i»<»a not tu-- uiuy of an Army band to a giioi. 'Under Air Winston Cnurcmli's i'riaun iteroi'm seneme the iStuiord Congress nuil .band was permitted to give a. musical festival m tne local gaol, evidently tnooe interested in pnsun reiOiin ai-t convinced tnat music nus an eieva.uug on tue -minus and naoits of cue num<iu race eonuued bcniud locks, and oars.

Union is strength, and the brass bands ui Curislcnurcn eviusuuy teaiise tn.s. uwing lo a aißagiC-mcnt between tne City <_ounc.l aiivt tne' oan-us leyaiariig uie rsiuunerdtiw lor part in tne wun.c.pai concerts, most 01 tne Buiim. reruaou to p*ay, ana lui rued a buay c-aitt.<r tne unite-u uanus Committee to watcn tne intereots 01 tne oands. At a meeting or tins last week it was accrued to take- steps to enrol »m----bers of an aiiii*aie-u <in.una prior to me niuiuc-pui election, rt wa» ms'o dcciaea to nave a performance by tne um'tcu bands on tue \ ictor«a syuare rutunua. So tyhat iUtssis Chas. Allien and "Xomuiy Taylor, tne two candidates for m*.* Atayorany, will nave anotner section oi tne puoliC to conciliate witcli tncy nardiy lecKoned on. i'ancy a judge with a reputation to keep U'p having to a iai ge • gather-' irig of. banus wnere probabiy seven or eignt almost on a dead level. All roaoonarne bandsmen will agree that the posit.on is a diuictut one ior any judge (says a llome band writer).- Judges are liuman; their desire is to do that whien is right, but it must ue evident to every rignt-nr.naed person that the line of cieuia.ritat.on is extremely ditrieult to draw sometimes. Her=onaUy, 1 am always sorry for the band wn'cn is branded witn the "Next in order of merit." bo near and yet so far on! There may be ttte least possible d-.tierence between it and tne last prize-winner, but what a different thing it is, not only to the uand. ltseir, bat also to tne outside pub.ic. London County Council controls sixtytwo brass bands for tne suppiy of municipal music, and move power to it. ior the masses at Home the military and brass oands of the London County Council are almost the,sole means of musical grace, the stepping-stone—in an educational sense—to better and higher things. Those who go down to Queens or'Beciistein Hails to hear fasnionable orchestras have little idea of the admirable work that has been, and is being, un.obtiusively accomplished by the Council's Harks Committee under its chairman (Mr Ktuart satnkey) and its pro- j iessional stall. The encouragement and sympathy to be naturally expected from the so-called better-class musical Ojass j has been oonsp.cuous for its scarcity, but the scheme is going ahead in spite oi tlus.

It seems evident that there will he no Australian baoul competinj at the Pal■merston. X-orth contest after all. Some time ago the visit of a; baud from over the Tasman Sea was 'almost reckoned on

.is a certainty, "but the project this year weras to have been dropped. SureJy tho victory of Wanganui Garrison at Ballaraf has not frightened our Australian, kinsmen; they must remember that Maoriland Ijaiids have also suffered defeat in their country. Or perhaps tho ill-success of the Newcastle Band at tho Exhibition contest of 1907 may ha.vo intimidated them in a sort of a way. Whatever the reason is, there will bo much disappointment if an Australian band fills to put in an appearance. The Duneilin contest was not too satisfactory liroru an A grade point of view, and we should like to see the Palmerston function throw all others in the shade.

Wellington Garrison Band's perform-, aneo at .Newtown Park last . Sunday afternoon was a fino one, and proved tuat the band has inndo great strides lately. The programme, as outlined in last'Saturday's notes, was given in a, first-class manner, and the rendition of tap two test selections for the Palinerston Xorth contest showed that tho bamd had an intimate knowledge of what was before them. Irieut. X. Herd conducted m his usual able manner. A collection in aid of tho band's .contest expenses realised iiS 6s, but a sum of ,£32 is still required to meet the bill, 'and it is to oe Hoped tnat. some of our local musical enthusiasts will step forward and till the breach. It is somo time now since Wellington Garrison Hand appeared in tne. contest field, and for the credit of die Empire City no effort should be spared <o enable its leading band to worthily represent it at the forthcoming contest at Palmerston.

Americans do love to do things in the grand stylo Isays "Musical Opinion"), imagine a Government commission being apxjoiuied m tills country "to investigate ana report" on the origin and history of "God save the King!" But Arneiica is a new country and nas time (andmoney) ior sucn divisions. Hence it is that wo nave an elaborately printed report from, uie Washington <jo\ eminent office on die origin and development oi "The' riiar-bpauifled Bauiner," "flail, Columbia," "iankee Doodle," and "America," compiled by Oscar G. T. bonneck, chief of tne musical department in the .Library of Oongiead. . It' was two years ago that ilr Sunneck received instructions to uraw up such a report; but the thoroughness oi uie research and • tne fact tnat tne compiler's current duties during this penou could not be neglected itiny account for the time spent over it. A long list is given of literature used for the report, followed by twenty-thiee facsimile reproductions of rare early t'ersions and manuscripts.

A belated par:—Mr Albert Wade, conductor of Wanganui Garrison Band, was oil Christmas Jivo presented with a purse of sovereigns by band enthusiasts of the river town. Mr J; T. Muir, in a eulogisl.c spleen, remarked tuai air uaut nad oeeu ottered .£SO a year more than he was now receiving, but had refused it to return to Wanganui. in his roply Mr Wade said: "1 arrived in Wanganui on Saturday, November 21st, 1908. In tne following February, IUO'J, we went to the .Hastings contest. From February, 19U9, to uctooer, 1910, a period of twenty months, we have' attended , the ilast.ngs, Wanganui, and Bailarat contests, winning tne double, at all three. Fioin those threo contests our winnings uen.- MjOj m cash, k» gold inedais, 31 silver medals, the Besson Shield won outrignt, an<l a drum-majors stand. When 1 came to Wanganui i was rather anxious. I felt tliat I was taking a very big contract. 1 was perfectly aware that several New Zealand bands had tried to win iu Australia. After I had been in Wanganui a little while, I began to think that if any New Zealand' band liad hope in Australia it was-your band. When wo got the verdict, I was exceedingly pleased to know that your band was tne first to bring such honour not only to Wanganui, but to New Zealand. Just a few words regarding the bands-, men. Of course,; anyone.knows ilt is, absolutely impossible to keep -'a band up to the high standard your band t has attained without the strictest discipline. And to enforce' discipline in. an.amateur bauid is a very dnhcult matter. . The bandsmen are not soidiers, they are not even compelled to be there.' But I have always found that there is a way to get the very best out,of men, without in any way hurting, their feeling 6. Sometimes I think that our bandsmen may think they have to work hard.. But then we cannot hold our present position if wo don't work hard. There are other bands, young and enthusiastic, and they will come to the top some day; they are worKing, and working exceedingly hard, in- the hope of beating the Wanganui Garrison, x But so long as I am able, and so long as the band support's me loyally, then I will do my utmost to hold "the proud position we hold today."