MUSIC PLAYED BY BANDS

Southland Times, Issue 23794, 17 April 1939, Page 5

MUSIC PLAYED BY BANDS

CHANGE IN LAST 25 YEARS “PRESENT DAY LACK OF APPRECIATION” Regret at the present -day lack of appreciation of band music was expressed by Mr A. R. Wills (bandmaster of the Civic Band) at the annual reunion of the band of the First Battalion, Southland Regiment on Saturday night., Mr Wills said that he had played all sorts of music—some that he had been ashamed to play—and he had found that if they were going to play trash they would not get the men to practise. People were just as keen to hear a good band as ever they were, but conditions today compared with what they were 25 years ago were entirely different. Of late years composers had, in an effort to advance music, fallen into the habit of writing original music for the bands. To the advanced bandsman it was wonderful stuff, but it was altogether too advanced for the general public. The result was that the appreciation of band music had gone down. They had to give the public what it wanted. Mr Wills advocated more attention to music such as Verdi’s operas, rather than a great deal of the jazz that was played today. He was inclined to think it was hardly worth while playing on Sunday afternoons now, because of the lack of public support. Mr P. Linton Hodge expressed his appreciation of the assistance, of the bands at the community sings, _ and added that he was sure the public did appreciate the bands, although he did not think they received the monetary consideration they should. There was a good attendance at the function, which was presided over by Mr J. R. Cowley, in the absence of the Mayor (Mr J. R. Hanan), who is the president of the band. Among the toasts honoured were “The Civic Band,” “The Caledonian Pipe Band of Invercargill,” and “The Army, Navy and Air Force.” Mr W. M. C. Denham, M.P., proposed the last-named toast, which was replied to by Major T. Mathews.