BAND COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 70

BAND COLUMN.

Notes bt 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. I All communications should be addressed to " Cornet," Otago Witness office. A '"championship" welcome was accord-ed the Morning Band on its return from the contest Crowdß awaited the arrival of the second express, and cheered lustily as the train drew into the station. The Kaikorai Baud played a march, after which the members of the Mornington Band mustered and 1 ■were welcomed 1 on behalf of the residents of Mornington district by the Mayor and councillors of that suburb. Conductor Smith replied or. behalf of the band. Preceded by the Kaikorai Band, the friends and supporters marched in procession with the returning champions to the Grand Hotel, where refreshments were partaken of preparatory to the ascent to Morningfcon by the members of the victorious band. Although the admission to the Recreation Grounds, New Plymouth, during the contest was the proverbial "bob," the day's sport cost a Maiigorei farmer £13 and a lady about £6. Accidentally exposing their -wealth at the gate, they enabled the waiting and watehine: light-fingered .gentfi to sort them out as "" good things." Needless to say that before the day was out the victims' pockets vrert picked of the above amounts. An application was made to close the Government Offices in New Plymouth for three consecutive afternoons during the contest, but the Hon. Dr Findlay could not accede to the request. The North Island Brass Band Association has a credit balance of £159 16s 9d. Hastings, ,the contest town of 1909, can accommodate 13 or 14 bands. The. , New Plymouth Recreation Sports Ground Committee is a great gainer over the band contest week, receiving about £100 commissnon on gates from the various musical 'funotions and the championship sports meeting. The total revenue from the Recreation Sports Ground gates and door takings at the Theatre Royal during the week was £661 made up as follows : — Quickstep i contest, £261 ; first test selection, £130 ; pawlen pa riy, £103 ; theatre takings, £37. The total revenue was £850, and a surplus on the contest is expected, the first call upon which is the £29 contributed by business people to enable the committee to lodge the £25 deposit with the application to th% association i,o hold the contest. Even had there been a debit balance the guarantors would not have been called upon, for one or two members of the executive had determined to " run" some form of amusement to wipe off -the deficit. Severn 1 of th,eWangnui Band's soloists who were staying at the Criterion Hotel, on receiving the news of Webb's sculling victory let off "Webb steam" by playing '* See the conquering hero," "He's a jolly good fellow," and other appropriate pieces. Auckland Ist Battalion Band was most successful in solo competitions at New Plymouth, and won the following prizes : — Baritone first ; B fiat bass, first ; tenor trombone first ; and four seconds (quartet, bass trombone, bass drum, and euphonium). The band aloe secured the Besson Shield for highest aggregate music points, 381 (selections and quickstep). Woolston got four firsts (soprano, E bass, euphonium, BB bass) and' one second (B bass). Nelson Garrison won three firsts (quartet, horn, side drum) and two seconds (baritone, cornet). Hasrj ings secured two fusts (cornet, bass drum, I and two seconds (horn, side drum). Wanganui obtained two firsts (trombone trio, flugoN and three seconds (cornet, tie, BB bass, tenor trombone). Taranaki won one first (F trombone) and two seconds (flugel and E flat bass). The Boosey Shield for B Grade, and und?r similar conditions to A. Grade, was won b- Palmerston North with 357 points. Specal prizes were won by: — Auckland let Battalion, Hawke's cornet ; Mornington. silver-mounted baton ; Auckland Mounted Rifles, gold medal ; Taranaki drum major, gold medal. Two gold medale presented by the Dresden Company for winners of E and B flat cornet were won by Williams (Wookton) and Berryman (Nelson) and Fox (Hastings), a tie. An extra medai was presented 1 The success of a band's solists in the solo and quartet . competition's is generally regarded a-j a criterion of the full band's ability in the selection tests. As a rule in cur contests bands that have epme out on too in the big event have invariably scored well in individual competition. Mornington this year, by not winning even one event in the solos, has provided fhe exception to the rule. The worry and vexation of the train delay, causing the competitors in the baritone and fluprel contests to nrise those events, would possibly affect the playing of the remainder of Morningjtons' solists. The public picked" Mornington and Wool-

ston as winners of the "William Tell" selection «.t New Plymouth. | "Bob" Green, the popular horn soloist cf ; the Mornington Band, leaves for England on Wednesday. He will be absent for about two years making himself proficient in the dentistry business. The Dunedifl Oi'chefatral Society will also require a horn player in Mr Green's glace. I wish him a pleasant trip and success in his business. Daring the progress of the quickstep competition' at New Plymouth Mr F. Macleod, ' eonductoi of the Masterton Band, suddenly toot ill, and was conveyed to town by cab. ■ The strain and excitement had evidently been, too much for him. He has not the most robust constitution, and would be pro?. > trated by a continuous nervous strain. On the voyage home with the New Zealani Band he had a very bad passage, and was very near being "bait." At Christchurcii ( last year he informed me that the Exhibi- ■ tion contest was his last, but his > successful , ■secon'3 place in the quickstep evidently in- 1 spired him to try again. As no ill. news , has come to hand, he must have pulkd round. I hope co, at any rate. The garden party at New Plymouth was a^ si'ccersful function, and was attended by • two thousand people. As usual, the bands ( delighted the audience with some choice pieces, the Woolston Band receiving an encore for a good rendering of "The lost chort.l." A similar compliment was paK. to the .Nelsen Garrison on account of the splendid exhibition of drum- , beatins by Drummer Berryman, whose per- , fornvanoe was an eye-opener to many. Ihe mas.-w* bands, under Lieutenant Herd, J played th 3 march, "Undaunted." Tha 1 pro- ( ceedin^s closed by Mr Holbein, secretary of the N. 1.8.8. Association, calling for three cheers for "the Mayor of New Plymouth and the Contest Committee, with a special salvi I for Secretary Clarke, who had done valiant ■ service in connection with the contest. I ! wish her* to express thanks also to Mr , ' Clarke for kindly sending circulars, etc., so ( kee-smi; readers of the Band Column m. • toucli wilh contest doings at New Plymouth. A Taranaki Daily News representative had a short chat with -Lieutenant Herd, ! who looked worn out with the continuous ' strain of the judge's box. Asked for his opinion of the playing of the bands he said that the general playing had been remarkably good. The winning band would take a lot of beating. "It's detail work was good, tone., good, phrasing good, and expression good; in fact, take it from any standpoint it was really a very fine performance indeed." The first four bands all played well, particularly, though, the first three, he said. The standard set by Mornington was of an exceptionally high order. "Have you anything to say regarding the B Grade bands?" asked the reporter. ''Oh. yes. I would like to say that the form shown throughout by the bands in the B Grade -quite surprised me, particularly in their -efforts tor wrestle with the difficulties contained in the 'Gems of Schumann. The manner in whioh they rendered that selection was very creditable indeed." Lieutenant Herd wont on to say that every attention had beer shown him by th© 'Contest Committee during his stay, and he had be9n made very comfortable indeed in New Plymouth. He had beenvery kindly treated. He wac pleased with the arrangements made, and said that playing the selections in open-air had made the judge's lot far more pleasant than it -would have been had he been boxed up in a building. He had had no difficulty at all in hearing the music. "One more cfuestion. You judged the 1 bands at the Ballarat contest in TBOI. How do you think the Mornington Band's performance compares with the best bands competing there?" "I can only say," he replied "that, the Mornington Band's performance would stand anywhere in any company." Mr "Ted" Hunter, in a chatty letter from Oamaru, wishes, through the Band Column to be remembered to his numerous band friends, and also exlendvs hearty congratulations to the Mornington Band on their succees. He has been recently appointed caretaker of tine Oamaru . Municipal Baths, the ladies' hours being supervised by Mrs Hunter. An extra subsidy is granted by the Education Board to teach the "young idea" how to swim, and it is neouless to add that there is plenty of work to do. Mr Hunter has also been appointed solo oornettist for the Oamaru Garrkon Band at a satisfactory figure. Two ex Dunedmit.es, W. Bevin (bags trorubone. Kaikorai), and L. Williams (euphonium, Navals), are also members of the band. Apropos of the iadies' swimming hovrs, the North Otago Times has the following cutting:— "Ted is now busy practising 'The rToe'e Revenge,' and carries a bludgeon. May his substantial shadow never grow le^s.." Etaikorai Band at St. Clair on Sunday afternoon wave the following programme. — March, "Challenge" ; overture. "Sabucodonosor" (Verdi) ; "Set Hymns" ; selection. "Maritana" ; concert -waltz, "Hvdropaten' (Ghmg'l) ; sacred fantasia, "Eventide" ; march, "Kaiser Wiiihelmn" ; "National Anthem." It is pleassiuor to note that the collections for the Ballarat fund are very satisfactory. The Duhedin Citizens Band appeared for the first time in public on Sunday in their new uniform complete with recently imported belts and pouches. These latter are the latest pattern, and i?ive the uniform the necessary smart, finish. The band now rank amongst the best dressed in the JJominion, and are to be congratulated on their smart turn out. Secretary Campbell will probably oblige again with the programme. , _ Mt Hugh Cteland. of The Nelson Garrison Band, writes:— "As we now have the champion band in the fctouth Island and contest matteis are well before the bands, I think the time is opportune to bring to life our South Island Band Association. I am iust dropping this note to eet the ball rolling, hoping to free the mntter taken up keenly in ycur column, and let iia have our association eet up at. once. I am sure we would have no trouble in getting a town to hold the contest in, and would suggest Oamaru, as being central and having all tie accommodation to run a first-class contest. Hoping to see our i association an established fact, and a con- ' teet held in the South Island in 1909.

A meeting of young men from the various churches in Caversham and South Dunedin -was held in Kew Church Hall on Tuesday night, -with Mr J. Lovo in the chair. After discussion, it was decided to form a choir, to be called the Southern Male Voioe Choir, and to meet for practice every "Monday night at 7.30. It was also d«oiaed to oanvaes the young men of tine distript, whether churchgoers or not. Officers were then elected, and a vote of than.k* to the chairman brought the meet- . ixut to a closa.