BAND COLUMN. Notes by Cornet.

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 69

BAND COLUMN. Notes by Cornet.

'Secretaries of bands are invited to send in Interesting paragraphs, also brief reports of parades and other functions in which their bands take part. All communications should be addressed to "Corrifct," OUgo Witness office.

Besses o' th' BaJb. Band, through their secretary {Mr Bogle), sent the following I message to the bands of Australasia: — "Besses are delighted with their treatment i by the whole of the bands throughout the cojoniea, and feel we owe them & debt of gratitude for all thei kindness and hospitality they have showered upon us, and wish to taflce advantage of the various band columns of the colonies to thank one an_d all. Besses nope io come and see you again and to find the bands improved in every possible way. If our playing has been an object lesson we hope all bandsmen will try to emulate our good points and mieg the bad onge. It has been a great pleasure to play to you and find you so appreciative, and enthusiastic, and^ the last word of Besses to one ana all is to stick assiduously to practice and get capable tuition, and you will surely succeed. We wish each bandsman to remember 'there's flfrffltfy pt room, at $he top.' Any baastejajn

[ vieifcing England may be sure offa hearty ' welcome at the Besses o' th' Barn bandroom, Mess lane, Whitefield, uear Manchester." " Genial." John Dixon also" sends farewell best wishes tc all bandsmen in Australasia. j The following interesting cuttings are i taken from a long letter to the Brass Band 1 News by Mr- Dixon:— "On the way Home concerts will be given by Besses at , Colombo, Port Said, Marseilles, and Gibraltar. — Jfessrs Owen, Bogle, Bowling, Berry, and Jackson have been made hon. life members of the Melbourne Band Association,^ and have each received handsome illuminated framed certificates.— The three principal of the many addressee, pictures, and presentations made to' the band, and sufficient' to cover every available inch of space in the bandroom, are those of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Societies of Christchurch, Auckland, and Adelaide. — The marvellous tone of Besses will surprise you. They aro a perfect combination, resulting from five hours' daily playing under the constant, instructing, and refining musical mind of Mr . Owen, at last come to full and perfect fruition. Besses will have been touring for 17 months. The band's playing has even moved hardened old sinners, who have never had a qualm for years, to repentance. Spletidid business was done in West Australia and on the goldfielde, where £750 was taken at the last concert. £1200 was taken in gate money at Kalgoorlie. The * good time ' meted out to Beeses in -Australia was not equal to that shown in New Zealand. Letters 'home' from the bandsmen confirm this statement." It is expected . that most of the bands in the districts surrounding Manchester will assist at Besses* welcome home. It is rumoured (writes " Flugel " in the Australian Bandsman) that Mr Moore, solo cornetist of Besses, is to take up his residence in Toowoomba next Easter, and if such is true the band that obtains his services will be very fortunate indeed. By the terms of the -wcontract, Mr Moore will possibly have to return to England with the band. It is more than likely that some other members of Besses Band will return to the colonies after seeing the existing opportunities in the band line. Mri A. Barkell, son of Mr W. Barkell, conductor of the Newcastle City Band, has been appointed band sergeant' of the Denniston Band, Westport. The members and supporters of the Second Auckland Battalion Band presented their conductor (Mr Clark) with a handsome gold watch. The presentation was made whilst the band was at the Thames contest. His Worship the Mayor of Wanganui, as chairman and treasurer of the Wangnui Garrison' Band Bazaar Committee, recently handed over a cheque for £415 16s 9d for the band's new instruments. The net profits from the bazaar were £430- 16s Bd, thus leaving a credit balance of £14 ISs lid after paying for the instruments. A Wanganui news journal states that the instruments have been admitted duty free, thanks in a. large measure to the efforts of Colonel Watt and Mr J. T. Hogan, M,P., so that the band is now placed in a very happy position. The Wanganui bandsmen have every reason to be pleased at the excellent support accorded to them by residents of the town and district. (We t of . the decidedly poor, whd contemplate future windfalls, cannot do better than favour the poor, downtrodden; and hungry of Wanganui with our patronage", and hold our next bazaar in that city. Even a ehadow of the treatment meted out to the Wanganui Band by the townspeople would savour of wealth to our impeounious bands.) The recent Thames band contest showed a profit of £15 10s 3d. At a special meeting of the executive committee, held to wind up the affair, votes of thanks were passed to the donors of the medals, the Contest Management Committee, and the sub-com-mittees—reception, ground, and hall,— the judges, timekeepers, and supervisors; while special vot&> of thanks were passed to the chairman (Mr "A. Burns), the secretary (Mr E. Bucikland), and the treasurer (Mr T. Clayton). It was decided to vote one guinea to each of the military judges, while it was unanimously agreed to vote the balance left (£l3 8a) to the energetic secretary as recognition of the valuable services rendered and the excellent work performed. The opinion was expressed that with' the experience gained and the success attained the chances of another band contest being held at Thames were decidedly reassuring. At the Toowoomba contest — the first that our late New Zealand friend, Mr Charles Trussell, attended in Australia with his new band (Ipswich) — the prizes were won by Inverell (first), Toowoomba (second), Ipswich (third). The band also scored third prize in the quickstep. On the points scored for the test and own choice pieces the winning band beat Ipswich by 60, the points reading 255, - 234, and Ipswich 195. Wright and Rounds "II Trovatore" was the test, while own choice comprised "Lortzing,' "La Reine di Saba," "Huguenots," "Rose of Castile," and "Norma." The last-named selection was played by Mr Trussell's band, and is that gentleman's own arrangement. Dunedin bands turned out and lent valuable assistance to the Hospital Saturday Fund. Mornington ire steadily rehearsing the New Plymouth selections.. With A. Schnack (soprano) and W. Coughlan (exKaikorai, E flat baes) the band is now complete, and other contestants will Ac well not to hold them cheap. Funds are coming in satisfactorily. Kaikorai are considerably strengthened in the trombone section by the inclusion of T. P. Williamson, soloist of the late Navals Band. From the band's large muster roll the contest band has now been selected by Mr Laidlaw, and steady practices have been the rule. Mr Joe Bailey, leader of the Citizens' Band, is likely to make, the trip with Kaikorai. A full rehearsal was held on Sunday morning in the Navals Orderly Room, when, good work was done on the two selections. The band are engaged to play at the Caledonian sports and the Jockey Club's Christmas race meeting. Owing to their carnival interfering with the usual routine of band life, the Dunedin Citizens' Band have not been holding regular practices of late. As a -number of engagements have to be fulfilled duringthe festive season the band are now making up for lost time. In the matter of a presentation of a gold-mounted baton and a benefit performance to be tendered to Alfred Hill In appreciation of his good work while in Dunedin, Mr Dan Boyd was the prime mover, and splendid, vr&e shown in the

matter. Messrs Boyd (trombone), _ Kert (cornet), * Davie (horn), Osborne (drums) were, members of the " Moorish Maid orchestra. During his stay in Dunedjn Mi . Hill has become quite popular, his gentle* manly' personality together with his capable ability as a musician and. conductor being the contributing factors. Chiefly, through the production of the " Moorish Maid " Dunedin has recognised in Mr Hill a musician of the highest order, and if assessed at his proper worth, he should be at the "top of the tree"* in London. - - But climbing down again from the lofty realms associated with the name of Me Alfred Hill, those instrumentalists—cornets, trombones, horns, wood-wind, and string— who have had the privilege of playing under his baton have received a very valuable lesson, indeed. Would 'that he were appointed principal director of bands, .orchestras, and choral -and operatic societies throughout the Dominion ' is the wish of all connected with these institu-" tions. ' Mr lies (director of Besses) has made arrangements for a preliminary, prior to a more comprehensive, tour of the Wingate's Temperance Band. The champions recently won Crystal Palace and Belle Vue . contests, and the present tour includes Wales, and West of England. Black Dike Mills Band are still touring England, and 1 are in greater demand than ever. Wright and Round's 1908 Journal selections—" Rossini's Works" for firstr-claes, - and "The Crown Diamonds" fo*r secondclass—are being booked for all the princi1 pal contests of the next summer season., ■ j This firm do a tremendous band business. Last year three tons of journal musio were sent out the first few weeks. For this „ year's 1908 Journal 50,000 cornet sample - sheets have been sold at Id each. , The Christchurch bands are going to do their Christmas carol playing in a much. . more pleasing way this year. *Each bano. s president and hon. members are to bo ' notified of the band's intention to call at 'their place of residence, . and, if permitted, to render in the band's most emoient manner a short programme of hymns and other music suited to the occasion. Strict discipline is to be maintained, and the H>laying will be done mostly piano, nothing ouder than mezzo-forte. The above plan, ' is followed by the Old Country bands, and] with much success both financially ana. frpjn an increased honorary membership. The old style of caroling with a band ol seven or eight players, who act out wit© a set of march book* and one hymn, and scatter disgust and beery breaths far and wide, returning with more beer— their mission always being known— is now dying, out. The new order of things will be greatly appreciated, and bands ought oer- . tainly to. give it a trial. . I find that the authority for my state* 1 ment that Mr R. Pattereon was likely to ' fill a vacancy in the baes section of the Kaikorai Band must, have been nusmI formed. The hon. secretary of the Dun- . edin Citizens' Band informs me that Mr, ; Patterson ha* no intention of leaving tv» - Citizens' Band.