CITY BAND.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 15742, 6 February 1922, Page 7

CITY BAND.

MUSICAL AND PARADING DEMONSTRATION.

The attendance at the musical and marching demonstration given on the Childers Road Reserve yesterday afternoon was an indication of tho interest of the public in the visit of the band to the championship contest in Wellington The band assembled at headquarters at 2.45 p.m., and marched to the grounds, where a lai'ge crowd awaited its appearance with anticipatory pleasure. The anticipations aroused by tho announcement of the demonstration were fully realised in the programme submitted, the organisation proving that, under its bandmaster, Mr. Chas Chestermnn, it has progressed far ahead of the stage of efficiency at which it competed at the Nelson contest last year. The first selection rendered was that from

“Parsifal” (Wagner), rendered with a wonderful blending of tone and generally efficient handling of the difficult passages. The next selection of the programme comprised the exhibition of quickstep marching, prepared for the Wellington competition. The band, in connection with the marching exhibition, had the assistance of Majors Beere and Gambrill, and Lieut. W. R. Burge, who inspected the pai-ade, and awarded points for the evolutions included in the demonstration. The band fell in on markers, and under the command of Drummajor McLoughlin, took up formation, and marched a given distance, countermarching, turning in column, and wheeling in column. The judges later made known to the men the points on which improvement could be effected and intimating that the marching was well ahead of last year’s performance. In this connection it is worthy of notice that at the Nelson contest, the Gisborne City Band was credited with being the best drilled band among the nearly fortv entries.

Also upon the programme was the execution of (he “Tschaikowsky” selection. prepared also for the contest, and a drumming solo by Drummer Stevenson, who since. last year has lost none of the facility with the sticks which then gained him (lie championship of New Zealand ’n th : s class. Each of the items was heartily applauded, and there could he no doubt of the public enjoyment of the demonstration.