MUSIC AND BANDS

Southland Times, Issue 17595, 6 March 1914, Page 3

MUSIC AND BANDS

l xotks by "Kri'iin.” ! i The Aiicklaml exhibition contest is I . now a tiling of’the past, hut on aroounl | ,of the excellent man tup- in which the ! j Invercargill representatives held 11 j> the j l town’s reputation, it is not likely to he I forgotten locally for some time. That ' the citizens were pleased with the ■ flihernian Band's success was very : evident by the splendid reception given 1 The band on its arrival home. Tt was | somethin;; that, the members of the j ham! have reason to be proud of. That- ! they appreciated it goes without say- | mg. and one member remarked to the i writer that lie was so overjoyed at the ! , reception that he eottld have cried. i | | The contest was easily the best that I i have yet had the pleasure of attend- ! itig. The playing of several of the A j tirade hands was a musical treat, while ! ,at least four of the T*. Graders gave splendid performances, ;f fact which is borne out by 11 1 very high marks awarded by the Judge. The only unpleasant feature of the contest was the 1 conduct of two of the hands during the massed band performance, and to the I writer's mind it was quite uncalled for. Brass hand music in New Zealand has , to such a stage now that it is im- . possible for any band to make sure of . winning. A few years ago Wa.nga.nui : and Kaikorai bands stood head and I shoulders over other competitors at : contests, but not so now, as there are I outers advancing who may down the I champions at any time. The South Street Society f Ballarat) I has decided to increase the prize-money I in tho A grade by £IOO, the prizes for | which will now he: First, £225: second. ! £100; third, £25. Messrs Roosoy and ! Co. have cabled to ttie Society oongratuI latirig the committee on the great suc- ! cess of the last contest, and intimating i that, they would again donate a shield I to the value of 75 guineas, to lie given 1 to tlie A grade band obtaining in three | years the highest number of points in : both "test" and "own choice” selec- ; lions. Tlie llozelle Band won the shield i I outright at the compel it ion held last. I i October. | 1 A Xorth Island hand scribe says:— ' After tlie surprise of the Auckland con- ' test Xorth Island bands will have to | look to their laurels. The plums all 1 ■■ seem to have gone to the other side of Cook Strait, tlie only trophy of merit which seems to have been left io the Xorth Island being the Hawke Challenge Shield, which Auckland secured, j Wellington did not ratine very hril- 1 liantly in the Judge’s eyes, and Wanganui was very much in tpc same position. A solo or two went their way. hut that was till. Tlie southern competitors were oul after scalps, and they returned home satisfied. People should not imagine that music is no good excepting as music, urges Sir Frederick Bridge. “The study of music trains the intellect and re-acts upon every other study tlie pupil takes up,” the Westminster Abbey organist told tlie good people of Manchester recently. "I would back a music boy properly trained against an ordinary boy who lias spent all his lime on other subjects, such as lAilin and Greek, and has not studied music. The study of music refines tlie pupils to begin with; it makes them think, it makes them alert and quick, and it gives them a little lightness of heart, and .that is a good deal.’’ Abandoning Ids favourite field of creative work for the time being, Siegfried Wagner lias been occupied with a scherzo for liule solo with orchestral accompaniment, lie lias now completed it and it is probable that, it will have its first performance at a concert of . tlie BUifhner Orchestra of Berlin and i Dresden this month, which the coni- i poser is to conduct. Count Gilbert ; Gravina, a son o I Blandine von JSulow, ]