BAND CONTEST

Southland Times, Issue 19172, 16 February 1924, Page 7

BAND CONTEST

INVERCARGILL HIBERNIAN TO COMPETE. LEAVE FOR CHRISTCHURCH TO-DAY. Brass bands from all parts of New Zealand will assemble at Christchurch to-day. in readiness to take part in the big contest, commencing on Monday and finishing on Saturday, February 23. The Invercargill Hibernian Band, which will compete in the contest, leaves by this morning’s express for the City of the Plains. The cream of the Dominion’s bands will be taking part, and some really fine performances will be given. Some comment has been passed on the fact that the Redfern Band, now known as the City of Sydney Band, which carried off the championship at the Dunedin contest early last year, will not compete at Christchurch, as was expected. One or two reasons are given for the band's nonappearance. One is that, in view of the fact that Mr Partington, conductor of the City of Sydney Band, is now engaged in organising an all-Australian band to compete at the London Crystal Palace contest at the end of the year, it would be too large an undertaking to send the band to New Zealand, when perhaps half of its members will be selected for the band to go to England. The other reason is that the band finds it a very difficult matter to raise the necessary funds for expenses which the trip to New Zealand would in voire. The City of Sydney Band did not compete as a band at the recent big contest held at Sydney, but individual members were very successful in the solos. It is rumoured that there is a little feeling shown between the Woolston Band, of Christchurch, and the Ashburton Band. Both bands had entered for the North Island contest, now being held at Palmerston North, and had Woolston made the trip Ashburton would have been present also. It is a general topic amongst bandsmen that when one of these bands decided not to compete at Palmerston, the other decided likewise. The Woolston Band was the w champion band in the North Island contest last year, and the Ashburton Band was practically declared the champion band of the South Island at the Dunedin contest last year. Needless to say, both bands will strive their utmost for the premiership at Christchurch next week. The contest will commence with the solos on Monday morning. The A grade selectipns will be played on Wednesday and Friday evenings, and the hymn tats (for all bands) on Saturday evening, when the final decisions of the test selections will be announced. It is reported that all is not as it should be amongst the A grade champion bands of Australia. It is a significant fact that not one band competed at the last contest at Ballarat, consequently there was no A grade competition. This is the first time in the history of the famous Ballarat contests that such a thing has occurred. Judging by private advices received in Dunedin occasionally from Sydney and Melbourne, there appears to be general dissension amongst the A grade bands. Even the famous Malvern Tramways Band, of Melbourne, the champion band of the Southern Hemisphere, which has been named by competent judges as one of the finest musical combinations in the world, did not compete at the last contest. It is reported that Mr Shugg, the conductor, will go to England as deputy-conductor or the AIl-Australia Band.