EXHIBITION BAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3763, 27 April 1926, Page 23

EXHIBITION BAND.

COMPLIMENTARY CONCERT. There was not a vacant seat in the Festival Hall, when a complimentary concert was tendered to the band of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Not only was the large auditorium packed, but tlie seats usually occupied by the choir were filled to overflowing, and through the partlyopened exit door on the ground floor could be seen those who were unable to secure seats. It was an elopuent testimony to the popularity of the band. As the members filed on to the platform they were greeted with enthusiastic applause, and another outburst welcomed the conductor, Mr F. J. Ricketts. The numbers submitted were all pieces that hfcd either been composed or arranged and scored by the conductor, and the whole programme was of a popular character. The public interest was aroused by the descriptive fantasia “Dunedin—N.Z.,” specially written by Mr Ricketts in commemoration of the opening of the Exhi bition and dedicated to the directors. It soon became apparent that, as Mr Sutherland Ross said later in the evening, that the romposer had played a joke. The item in the main was a clever instrumental burlesaue of the opening day events, interspersed with some opportunities for the magnificent playing of the band. The rustle of the crowd was aptly depicted, and the first roar of laughter greeted an exact representation of the beloved, but unconventional. chime of the city clock. Then a very scratchy gramophone was heard with the noise of the crowd, the whole being punctuated with terrific whacks on the drum to indicate the salute from the guns The crowd effect was heightened by some of the performers talking. Then various inarches were heard pianissimo. Suddenly the comets were exchanged for bugles, and a typical cadet bugle band effect was produced to be instantly minged with a student drum and fife band. Hill’s “Waiata Poi’’ and “Waiata Maori,” which weTe given “straight,” as the jazz experts put it, followed. Motor horns of various calibres and qualities were also used freely, as well as bells and whistles. The band then was silent whilst a throaty and rather dramatic soprano was heard “off” singing a song, the sale of which was much pushed earlier in the Exhibition. The titters of the audience burst into a mighty guffaw when the culprit, one of the bandsmen, walked on the platform and tried to ven.i copies to his comrades. The crowning skrt was -the celebrated duel between the Exhibition choir and the massed bands in connection with the tempo of the “Old Hundredth ” It was a clever piece of work and a section of the audience almost reached the shrieking stage. Then the increasing crowd was indicated by a kind of “capping” performance. The speeches, per megaphone, interrupted by all sorts of noises, were exact representations of these offerings, in that hardly a word was a \ hie beyond “Mayor.” “Em pi rah," and so forth A brilliantly played fanfare marked dn* official opening, and then a beautifully stage managed diminuendo by a piper led out the finale, reminiscent of t.he “1812” overture, with “God Defend New Zealand” instead of the Russian Hy—n. The applause was deafening, and the finale had to be refieated. A second descriptive fantasia. “For Service Overseas,’* proved very [ opular, especially the concert on the troop ship. The normal operations of the hand were suspended, and the following gave turns ranging from vaudeville, comply of first-class quality, to excellent Highland dancing: Lance-corporals Davis and Sinclair and jlandsmeu Crawford, Froud, Wilton, Cowdrey, Adams, and Taylor. A storm at sea was included with lighting and sandpaper effects. It was a night out for the bandsmen, and they enjoyed them selves like s<«oolboys. The same may be said of the audience. The remaining items were the familiar “Colonel Bogev,” the poetie march “The Vanished Army*' (dedicated to the First Hundred Thousand}, Barrett’s “Coronach” ispeciaily scored by the conductor and exquisitely rendered), Scottish Suite for pipes and band (soloist. Lance-cor-poral R. Sinclair), the omnipresent “Ligutning Switch,” valse leiite “Thoughts,” and slow march “In the Garb of Old Gaul.” Needless to say. the playing was of the superlative order that has characterised the work of the hand throughout. During the interval Mr J. Sutherland Ross (chairman of th e Exhibition directors) said that the concert was an expression of appreciation of the services rendered bv the band. 1 bey would ail agree that the wisdom of Mr Hainsworth’s recommendation had been fully vindicated.—(Applause, i Mr Ross had a s!y dig at the War Office, which first of all said that a band could not be spared and then, after pressure had been applied gave them the pick of 17 bands. It would be of interest to them to know that the proceeds of the ‘house” totalled £792 10s.—(Applause). It had been said that Scotsmen couid not see a joke, but they fully apnrecinted the jok e Mr Ricketts had played on them that evening-—(Laugh-ter and applause). Mr Ross then read a minute of the directors expressing their high appreciation of the playing and conduct of the band, which is to be forwarded to the colonel of the regiment., and he asked the audience to endorse it by acclamation, Ihis was done in no uncertain manner.

Mr Ricketts then prepared to continue the nroceedings, but had to respond to d fusillade of calls for a speech. In expressing thanks he remarked that it had bean said that the playing of the band was an inspiration. He would like to say that the audiences had been a source of inspiration to the band which had improved a good deal since it had been in New Zealand. He had been asked for really good works, which it had been a joy to nim to play. The applause did not matter so much, it was the silence that counted. He expressed his thanks to the members of the band for the way they alwaya came to their work smiling.—(Applause.) “You have done your best to spoil us, and we thank you very, very much,” concluded Mr Ricketts. At the call of their conductor the bandsmen gave three hearty cheers for tho citizens of Dunedin.