BRASS BANDS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 224, 20 April 1933, Page 8

BRASS BANDS

Dormancy of Movement

OUTSPOKEN REMARKS

Speaking to the assembled bands at the conclusion of the South Auckland Band Contest held at Hamilton on Saturday evening, Mr. H. D. Bennett, president of the New Zealand Brass Bands Association, made pointed remarks regarding what he described as tne dormancy of the brass bund movement in Auckland and its surrounding district. Ho said that in spite of the economic conditions the city of Dunedin had recently conducted one of the most successful Dominion contests ever held in the country. During the past few weeks there had been successful district contests hold in five or six centres and now Hamilton had come into line and proved that there was nothing to be afraid of. Auckland city, he said, made itself conspicuous by its almost total aloofness, and he could not understand it. No one could deny that brass bands were indispensable in the life of the community. Bands had a duly to effe. the public, but tire public also had no less a duty to its bands. But why, he asked, was the movement fostered only by the southern portion of the island? Referring to the activities of the controlling body, Mr. Bennett said that the policy now followed was to hold district contests throughout the year and for winning bands only to participate in the annual event. That this had been wholeheartedly accepted was proved by the fact that during the past three months district contests had been held at Ashburton, Masterton, Napier, Eltham and now at Hamilton. All had been highly successful. District contests, Mr. Bennett explained, were regarded as band nurseries. The policy had accounted for doubling the number of band affiliations during two years. They give opportunities for the formation of bands in small towns, and these in turn become the source of supply for higher grades. The venue for the 1934 annual contest had not been fixed.

Mr. Bennett congratulated the Hamilton Band Contest Committee and all its officials for the very efficient manner in which the contest was conducted. The bands, too, displayed remarkable ability and showed that there were a number of C grade bands that should be up among the B grades.