BAND COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2801, 20 November 1907, Page 66

BAND COLUMN.

Notes by Cornet.

Secretaries «f bands are invited to send in interesting paragraphs, also brief reports ol parades and other functions in which their banal s tako part.

All communications should be addressed »• " Cornet," Olago Witness qffice.

Belle Vue, with its 55 successive annual September band contests, seems hoary with age when compared to the modest eight competitions held under the auspices of the Crystal Palace Company. Still the latter ie progressing, and a band winning the much advertised 1000-guinea Challenge Cup at this contest is more than likely to benefit considerably. .Mr J. H. lies, director of the Besses Band, is manager of the C.P. contest. The one just concluded has been a great success, some 50,000 people attending the Palace during the day. Eaoh band had its own following, but, naturally, chief public interest centred gound the first class bands. The test piece on this occasion was a selection, "Gems of Schumann, ' arranged by Mr W. Short, L.R.A.M. I fancy this will be one of the test ' pieces for the New Plymouth contest. The judging wae in the capable hands of Lieutenant Ohae. Godfrey, and Messrs W. Short and Richard Head, the latter of Huddersfield, and in his day the finest trombone player in England. Mr Head has been for years one of the foremost contest judges, and was associated with J. Gladney and A. Owen during their playing career with the famous Meltham Mills' Band. The award was as follows : —Wingate'* Temperance, 1; Gooclshaw, 2; King's Cross Subscription, 3.

Mr Rimmer, with Wingate's Band, has now won Belle Vue September and Crystal Palace contests twice each in succession, a truly honourable distinction. He is the coming conduotor, and will be a worthy successor to Messrs Gladney and Owen, who for the last 30 years have been unrivalled as band trainers. Mr Rimmer's recent successes against these latter oonduotors is practically "youth beating age" —Mr Rimmer is now only 36 years old, whereas Mr Gladney is nearly 70 and Mr Owen about 60 years of age. The selection is thus commented on by the Daily Telegraph : —"The test piece in this instance wa« 'Gems of Sohumann.' While admitting that Mr Short showed no little skill and deftness in his selection and arrangements of the aiw, one may regret that ohoioe did not fall upon some piece coming more legitimately within the province of brass brands. A few martial phrases from the overture to Goethe's 'Hermann and Dorothea' were suitable enough, and the rousing strains of the 'Marseillaise,' which Sohumann introduced into this overture, as he did into his 'Two Grenadiers,' enabled the instrumentalists to blow their bravest. But the lovely song "Widmung" should never have been handed over to the tender mercies of cornet soloists, while snatches of the piano concerto, although introduced tastefully enough, seemed somewhat out of place. The faot, of course, is, as has been frequently pointed out before, that tker© is a. lamentable dearth of really effective- music written for military and brass bands, and seeing what a good opening exists in this direction, it Is singular, to say the least, that some of our composers should not turn their attention seriously to this class of music, and so help to obviate the necessity, with which so many bandmasters are continually faced, of having to arrange for their purpose pieces which are noyer intended to be played simply on wind instrument*."

The writer of the above article hae, I ehould say, heard more orchestral than band playing, and a brass band especially would strike him as being raw and cold. No matter how the "stuff" was played it would not appeal to him, the orchestral "colouring" being absent. Also, it is not the want, but the quantity of music that is a eource of annoyance to bands, both brass and military. If only a fraction of even the best standard and claesic arrangements of operatic, oratorio, and choral worke that are annually issued in band journals were played, why, bands would have to be playing every day in the year. Composers may compose, but what would be its use If bandmasters and band arrangers did not score the music for bands and orchestras. Tho practical man who knows tnotrumentaion is he who selects the works most suited for band selections. When it is universally recognised that the miTi- , tary bands of London, in class of mucio I and playing, aine not excelled by any ' orchestra in the world, it is rank nonsense to speak of the dearth of suitable music. Mr Short does not strike one as being an ideal arranger for "brass," and would be more successful in arranging for military band. In New Zealand contests no test eclec- j tions have given «uch satisfaction as . Wright and Round** pieces, such as "Tann- I hauser," "Verdi," "Schubert," "Halevy," : "Herold," and others. These numbers are brass band music of the very best, and bandsmen all over New Zealand would welcome a return of this firm's publications. Sufficient guarantee of Wright and Round's music is in the fact that during last summer in England all contests of"""any importance, with, of course, Belle Vue and \ Crystal Palace, were held with either "II j Trovatore," "Daughter of the Regiment," or "Wagner" ac the test piece. | Caversham Band have been playing "out" I quite frequently of late. They assisted at the i Maoandrav Road Bazaar last week, and on ! Sunday afternoon played a sacred proOtago Bowling Club, Arthur street, the band gramme at St. Glair. To the opening of the waa kindly invited by the president, Mr W. Dawson. In return for a very nice and much appreciated programme of suitable numbers, the members were liberally treated to refreshments "solid" and "not [

so solid." A strange thing about the playing on the day was the unexpected number of "bare* rest" that cropped up in the pieces; "rests" quite sufficient for a trip to a tent in one corner of the ground, the bandsmen remarking that they could "rest" better in the tent than waiting at the stand.

In town last week playing at Montgomery's Pictures, and wishing to be remembered to all bandsmen, Ted Hunter, of Hampden.

Lambert Williams is returning from Gisborne, and will likely play euphonium for Kaikorai Band at New Plymouth. The Thames band contest was held on November 9 and 11, and was a complete success both as tc weather conditions and financially. The Auckland Ist Battalion Band, under Conduotor Phil. Mohr, practically "scooped the pool" by winning the A grade selection and quickstep and most of the solo competitons. Results: — Selection A grade— Auckland Ist Battalion 1; 2nd Battalion (Thames) 2. Quickstep — Auckland Ist Battalion 1, 2nd Battalion (Thames) 2. B grade selection—Hamilton 1, Newton 2, B grade quickstep— Rotorua 1, Newton 2. Originally a playing member of the Christchurch Garrison, then a brass band, Mr ,Mohr was for some years director of the Municipal and Garrison Bands. Invercargill. Since residing in Auckland he has done much to raise the standard of band-playing in that city. A pleasing feature of the Thames conteat was the satisfactory judging, of Mr Herd. The popular lieutenant and Mra Herd were given a royal send-off when leaving for Auckland, where they intend to stay for a holiday before returning to Wellington.

" Sapho"' was the test piece for A grade bands and "La Cenerentola" for B grade bands at the Thames.

Besses would not "take on" America again, as having done two "freezes" (one financially and one a natural) coming out, they were not prepared for any more. The band leave for England via Suez, and are timed to arrive in London December 22T It is intended to give them a welcome home.

Scraplets from the Belle Vue contest: Black Dike's performance (second prize) was interrupted by a party of hooligans in the back of the hall, the said hooligans being barrackers of a competing band.

No. 13 ie considered luck at Belle Vue.

It is said that Black Dike will henceforth be prohibited from competition in future as an amateur band, they being practically professionals. Winners of Belle Vue September contest for the last 20 yoars:— 1888, Wyke Temperance; 1889, Wyke Temperance; 1890, Batley Old ; 1891, "Black Dike ; 1892, Besses: 1893, Kingston Mills; 1894, Besses; 1895, Black Dike; 1896, Black Dike; 1897, Moealey; 1898, Wyke Temperance; 1899, Blaok Dike; 1900, Lmdley; 1901, Kingston Mills; 1902, Blaok Dike; 1903, Pemberton Old; 1904, Black Dike: 1905, Irwell Springs; 1906, Wingate's Temperance; 1907, Wingate's Temperance. Although an ideal summer's day, Sunday afternoon proved rather warm, for bandplaying, especially at the Battery Barracks and St. Olair, where there is no shelter for the bandsmen. Citizens' Band at the Gardens, Cavereham at the Second Beach (St. Clair), and Kaikorai at the Navals' camp played acceptable programmes to large crowds of listeners. The latter band attended at a church parade in the morning to St. Matthew's Church with the Naval Company, afterwards proceeding to the camp for dinner and providing the music during the afternoon. Differences of opinion on the question of drill led to the resignation of J. Doig, baritone 6oloist, from the Dunedin Garrison Band.

Mr W. Woocfe, cornefistj late of Navals, has beoome a member of Kaikorai Band. At Ballarat contest 20 minutes was the time allowance for judging the selections, and the ringing of a bell notified the playing band that the time was up. The rule states that a band's selection must not exceed 20 minutes in length, and the law laid down is that the time is reckoned from the ringing of the judge's bell. Mr Mellor, conductor of the Newtown Band (the winners), thought the time was taken from the ooening bar, and did not hurry to start when the ball rang. As a result he had a big lump of the music to play after the time limit was up, and juet as his band was Eubfcing in its very beat work. He vows c will not be caught like that again. George Paterson, late of Momington Band, has obtained an appointment in the Government service, and now playe in the Elite Band. Since residing in Christchurch he has been a member of" Derry's Band.