BAND CONTESTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10594, 25 October 1910, Page 4

BAND CONTESTS.

[By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.] (Per Press Association.) ■Received- I 'October 25, at 1.5 p.m. Ballarat, October 25. It is estimated that 1500 people were present at the. City. Oval for, the final of the band contests. 1 Twenty-one bands., consisting;of 600 bandsmen, competed in the-various events ..'The principal. interest centred in the .first-class grade contest, wherein the .premier Victorian bands met- the crack New Zealand combination. A-notable fact wis that Wanganui was rallotted 174 points only in the test selection. (Weber's Works), against the 208 scored by Praliran. 198 by Collingwood, and 191 by Ballarat City. The test was played late at night, a bitter, cold wind making it necessary for players to run about m overcoats to keep their blood in circulation, while it was difficult to get the instruments warmed up to work. This is suggested as a probable cause of Wanganui's coniparatively poor display. . The judge, in his remarks/ said he considered Wangaiiui's test a well-rendered selection and one showing artistic temperament in its interpretation. But it was in their own selection, "The Valkyries/' that Wanganui took the judge by storm. «He. declared it. an extraordinary perform-: anco and a treat to listen to. ■•'/" ' New Zealand's success was greeted with great cheering. London, October 25. The King's Trumpeter reviewing the work of the band.contest, says the euphonium playing - generally was weak in tone and style, but the cornet contests were splendid. lie had never heard better phrasing and tone. The solo tenorliorns had made cent, per cent, strides, while the middle and inner parts of the Australian bands had .increased, an; expression and tone by leaps, and;.hounds during the past two years, "j