CITY BAND

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15317, 13 September 1920, Page 6

CITY BAND

| About a year ago a special effort was maue by thu citizens of uisboruo to raise luuus tor tiie le-equipment ana re-orgun-i.»a..uii oi lue ciiy liana m avoidance with a, promise given to' the baud at the timo of tiiev Quefti Carnival iv tue earJy days of tho war. The 1 bawd, lor whose beuent tiie ljueeu Carnival batl x.u e u!n Olgaiu&eu ' haa thvl » iv s'g'Jt a clear ibUUO, and had agreed then to forego tteeir profits and Co devote the wUolo of tuo camivul proceeds to the patriotic lunds. As a large, number of innuenuai citizeius were befijnd the guarantee given to the band U that time, that it gjlould not suffer by its action, the citizens' comnntteo considered a year ago that it was time an endeavor was made to keep faith with the. band. It will be remembered that the Band Battle and "Our Reveille" were the. means the committee took to raise tho amount required, £5000, which it was intended should be put out at interest to be the nucleus of a fqud to ' supply the salary of a, first-class band conductor and to defray tho general upkeep of the baud. Unfortunately the result of the effort did not come up to expectations, and together with the amounts raised by the Poverty Bay ioultry and Pigeon Society and the Women's Club, less .than £1500. was. actually realised. This amount was earmarked, for the purchase of a set of- first-" class band instruments, which duly came to hand by the Arnhura lust Weduesday, and are .being shown by the . importers, Messrs EV. Chrisp and Son, music warehouse, m their display window, for a few days. Probably towards tho end of the week, .an opportunity will bb arranged for the Mayor, as chairman of the Citizens' Executive •Conunitteo, to present tho instruments to the baud members. ■ .

Tho set comprises thirty silver-plated and engraved instruments, and m addiv tion one bass 'drum, two side, drums, cymbals, and drum-major's staff, and full equipment, including, iron folding stands. Each' instrument has its own leather case, with the name of the band and the number of the instrument stamped on, so that no trouble is anticipated from loss of instruments. The total cost of the instruments and equipment will be something over £1500, and it is generally agreed that there is not a finer set m New Zealand. -

Included m. the set is one E flat cornet (soprano), nine B flat contesting model cornets, with double slides and waterkey; two B flat flugel horns, five ii flat tenor horns with patent compensating pistons, 2 B flat baritones, with compensating pistons, two B flat euphoniums, with four c.p., three \tenor.. trombones and one G bass trombone, all fitted with a locking ferrule, two Imperial E flat basses with four cd. and paten* protec'ov for 4th valve, 1 B flat contra-bnas with c.p., two monster models, cr.ntra-bnss BB flat. wltTi 3 c.p. TheSP ins'mments were made- by Boosey and Go., London.! The. drums, whirh are not yet to hand, were made by Messrs Hawkins and Sons, of London. They comprise two snare drums, with si'v-er-pln+ed shells, . and one bass drum of spccinl size, mnde to order to suit the band for quickstep band contesting, i