THE EXHIBITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8755, 18 March 1890, Page 2

THE EXHIBITION.

NOTES. The attendance yesterday numbered 3095. The spelliug bee, which is being promoted by Mr De Maus and is to be held in the concert hall on Friday night next, promises to be a success. A number of prominent citizens have been requested to act as judges, and up to the present titna the president of the exhibition (Mr John Roberts), the Rev. A. R. Fitcbett, Messrs A. Wilsou, and J. L. Gillies have conS'jnted to act. The books which are to be awarded as prizes will be on view to-day. The visitors to the exhibition yesterday included a number of children belonging to the Kindergarten School. One of these, a little girl, was a cripple on crutches, and Captain Mangin Ewpicasse, the superintendent of admissions, upon seeing her, very strongly demurred to her being allowed to go as she was, through,'the exhibition, being afraid that the invalid might meet with further injuries through a crutch slipping between the planlis of the flooring and thus throwing her down. The circumstances become known to Mr Mills, of the Customs department, who at once hired an invalid's chair for tho child so that she might see the exhibition in comfort—a generous and thoughtful act on his part that deserves to be recorded.

A poncert, consisting almost entirely of selections by brass bands and braes instruments, was held last evening, and attracted a moderately-sized audience. The exception to the instrumental selections was furnished by two vocal solos, contributed by Miss Bt;rtha Rossow. The first of these was Mrs Good eve's pretty song, " Fiddle and I," and the second was Packet's ballad, "Listening." Both of f,heso were sung tastefully, but in neither caso did Miss Rossow accede to the request ol thu audience for a repeat number. The bands'that won the first four prizes in the contest each played a selection. The Dunedin Garrison Band were to have played the opening piece, _ but as they v.-ora engaged elsewhere the luvercargill Band, who were warmly received, took their place and performed the "Semiraniide" selection which they gave on Saturday night. Tne performance was almost a faultless ione, and the band were loudly applauded on its conclusion, the applause being sustained for more than a minute, until Mr Siddall, the conductor, appeared in acknowledgment. The i Oamaru Garrison Baud, conducted by Mr Jones, were greeted with equ&l fervour, and a similar compliment to thst paid to the Invercareill Band was tendered to them at the termination of the selection, " Reminiscences of Beethoven," which they plnyed. The performers did not, however, maintain their reputation on this occasion—far from it; the principal offender being a cornet soloist, who more than mice (;ot builly out of tune, The Dunedin Garrison Band played " Reminiscences of Balfe " —theselection they played on Saturday night last—and this also was much appreciated, but Mr Wisharf, tha conductor, did not appear in response to the popular demonstration. The winners of tho principal event of tho contest, the Oarnnrn Nsvul Artillery Baud, conducted by Mr Frew, came last and played the" Beethoven " selection, which they played as the piece of their own choice in the contest. Their performance was in every respect a meritorious one, and it is a pity it took place at an hour when the audience had dwindled down to a very few. He W. S. King, of the Oamaru Garrison Band, played the trombone solos—a cavitma from«Cii:q Mars," arm tbo tromlono polka-winch were performed by him in the competition, and was recalled by the audience ™*lt»l Playing. Mr C. D. Mackintosh, of Wellington, who was one of tho judges, con-

tributed n bass clarionet solo. Somo hisses emanatinG from n °lns'Br °f bandsmen at tho baok of the hall, were raised as ho appeared on tho stage, but these were effectually drowned in tho applause which greeted him from the more, unprejudiced section of the audience. Mr Mackintosh's instrumentation was admirable, and tho tone he produced was exceedingly fine; in short ho proved himself to be a thorough master of his instrument. Again, when he had finished, was there some hissing from the back, but again thoso discordant notes were silenced in plaudits. The winners of the solo competition for clarionets, sornets, and euphoniums were also to have contributed to the programme, bnfc pressure of time prevented this pnrb of tho arrangements from being fulfilled. "The details in connection with the band contest wero of so complete a kind and wero carried out so well ns to be unraarred by a singlo hitch, that we regret we cannot compliment the authorities upon tho way in which this concert, designed to witness in a way tho final scene of tho contest, was manngod. In fact, there was very little management about it. The programme was not adhered to, there were long waits between tho items, and ill sundry trifling respects tho arrangements were not what they should have been. Daring au iuterval in the proceedings, Mrs Henry Mackenzie, wife of the vice-chairman of tho Musio Committee, presented tho prizes to tho successful competitors in the recent contest.

THE BAND CONTEST,

It may bo takon for granted that whatever had been the awards of tho judges in the band contest there would have been dlssatUfaellou and disappointment in some directions; but nobody probably looked for auoh a sweeping denunciation of the declsious as has occurred. Theve la a singular feature, too. about the denunciation, and It in that inoro objectlou appears to be ralwd to tho relative pontionsiu which tho unsuccessful bands are placed than to the allotment of the prizta. Not Cat, there Kit of niece" eeleoted by themselves. Bow tho Ohrlstchureh Dand \Anyei a Wanner BcleoUon, which afforded.a test of a high order while tho KSn Sy'Sim^hS^ htc fiSf .n bed than performing bsforo a critical audlM.ce.^oll--tpihntfri n. *Lflleotioii of fiirfl from Hie uon«uiiiiu of the latter band, as a performance, had not S the test plooeand for the selections of the hands own ohoosing-p»rllonlarly in regard to the latterthat have t«en subjeot for comment and criticism. The publication yesterday morning of tho points tlmtwSte awarded by th ß >dp. n thei Brand contoB i i^j » n n fliimmous being liaatlly sent out lor a noting to be held In tho Shamrock Hotel. In obedlenoa to tho summons all tho bandmasters who were encaced la the late contest (with tho exception of Mr It Frew, the conductor of lha Onmani Naval Artillery Band, tho winners of tho firtt prize) mot together, and fully discussed tho situation. Finally the followiiiK resolution was unanimously adopted and signed —

" Dnnedin, 17th March 1890.

" We the undersigned, hereby desiro to express our great astonishment and regrut *t the neasions arrived at by the iuases in connection with the band oonteVt imt concluded, and the relative order of the bands as printed iv. tho daily papti., " Johh Black, Invercarf{ill City Band , OHAM.KS Ooomds, Duuedin Ordnance Band D M'KlLliOP.StHnmoreßnusßantl Airoc. FBASitK, Queenstown Brass Band Jko. Poolky, Addingtcn Workshops Band Geo. GARBy, Taranalil Eifles Band SfcoMis HEiiP, Wcllliißton Garrison Brad P. TASKiBD, Napier Garrison Band Geo JONS3 jun., Oamuru Barrl«on Band X TsfsT BEAHKii-. Christ»!.urch Garrison Band

W V SWDAT.H. Inver<.virgill Garrison Band toos. Chapman, Dauedin Engineers Baud B.BTBATTO:..Kailioralßand. Thß reaoluK.-iu was communicated to the Music OommSee later on in the day. Another document inTie nature, of a protest was being circulated for .KSJ? *^a^oT'thfmeS^theVxi me bad the performances of the different bands at tha late contest, desire to express the utmost '"The judged Sr^belleve. Intend to make any reply to. or take any official notice of, these documS,.M that have b-en mentioneil. They rely upon ™X rc%rts v°.i=h they have to submit .upon the performMices. to justify the system they adopted of spend a week in Oiiristelmrch ou hia way home to Wollinpton, and docs not mean to write h}3 re Port until he rekcl.es home. We understand, however, that the judges gave then' points fur tu«e. time, «rVI« suloi and rraeral efficiency, nnd the points wem^upUtheend of each night On Xhursday niclit-tlie first night ol thoeonle.t-Ur Wills, of "tho Music CommitU-e, joined the judges bs soon iv the last tend had concluded playing, and the poir.ta were forthwith allotted to each be.i.d, the competit.ifl being represents by numbers Sa 1 ticular nurab«ra, tha list of marks was paced In an envelops, which was then sealed and handed i- ( iia vlcpfhaimiaii ol tho Music Uommittee Mr H Mackenzie, who retained possession Lauded in t'J the committee the score o! thecomposimad-, and tha committea communicated to the ii'diraatl'e information that was requirea as to the i.mV.ios.tions to be played. This Information was conveyed on piper that v.-as rulurtmto three columns by' ™h. B2S tto H.W"or the Mt£ •with, which the ncore of each ws.a marked. On th s uight, as on an error made in crediting the wrong band with marks, but tho judges and the Music Committee econt this idea, which is based upon an actual occur'^Vp^'taS^re presented with their prizes nt an interval in the concert yesterday eveniug, Mrs Ilonry Mackenzie makiu|! the distribution, herB«RntaVor K e, Bandsmen King.Lithgow and Cook were tha first to have their trophic, presented i,o iifFa'z^itr. ■fisarajvtsss bouquet handni up to him. amid applause, when he received his prize, and the applause became general when he c-acefully handed the flowers to Mrs Haekenzto Bandmaster Herdroceived the prize secured bytht Wellington Garrison Band iutlie quickstep competition, and then came the handing over of the cheques to the prize-winners in the grand contest. There was some cheering when tho .bandmaster of the Oamara NavaU appfared to claim the first prize, but tbf re was about it nothing of the enthusiasm that was displayed in the popular demonstraton that W a s then made in favour of the Invercargill Garrison Band, on whoso behalf Mrfciddallhad to bow his ncknowleSfments. The Oamaro Garrison Band and tho Drinedln Garrison Band were also favour of the Oaraaru Navals. Each of the four prizewinning tanda performed a selection, and this also occasioned demonstrations in favour of the luvorcarBlli and Oamaru Garrison Bands, while the appearance of Sir Mackintosh, one of the juflgps, to perform a clarionet solo was made the signiil tor a sliEht demonstration of n hostile charscter. The nnnljunp of the oablic and the hisses of the malcontStTdS not, however, alter the decision of Ihe iudizus, and we caa only now await, r.s patiently us we may, the publication of the reports. In view of the turn which matters have tiken.it is worth while remembering that it was the Oamaru Naval Artillery Bana which, » short time back, issued a circn'ar to other bands that were likely to compete, requesting their co-operation in Protesting agaiuit tho appointment of Mr Mackintosh as a jiidge. The teasons that were alleged were that the Osmaru Garrison Band intended to play at the contest, as they did play, a"Jesoonda' selection, and that Mr Mackintosh was aware that that baud poseessed the only copy of the music that there is in the colony. .