BANDSMEN'S COLUMN

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 241, 14 November 1914, Page 4

BANDSMEN'S COLUMN

Orchestral Society. A concert was held in the Colosseum last Sunday night. The programme was practically the samo as the one given the previous Wednesday at the Opera House. The entertainment, which was to raise money for the Belgium fund, was a great success. The spacious building was packed to the very doors, and it is not in the slightest degree exaggerated when I say that hundreds of people were turned away. This goes to show that good music- is desired by the public on The Mayor, who was present on this occasion, must have been fully convinced of the advisability of encouraging the various musical organisations of this city by granting them their oft-repeat-ed requests—the same privileges as the city organist. The Wellington Tramways Band, under the conductorship of Mr G. W. Bowes, gave an excellent concert at His Majesty's Theatre last Sunday evenir • in aid of its own funds. The progri.-.iiie consisted of the test selection, "Rienzi" (Wagner), March "La Russe" (Rimmer), serenade '/Sizibetta"' (von Blon), and a fantasia, "A Sleigh Ride" (Lodz). During the evening, Mr C. Clarkson sang "Alia Stella Confidente" with 'cello obbligato "by Mr F. Johnstone, and Tito Mattel's "Never More." Mr Frank Johnstone played a 'cello solo, an arrangement by Oounod of Bach's "Meditation." Mrs Johnstone was the accompanist. At Wangaiiui.

The officers and members of the Queen Alexandra Regimental Band were highly gratified at the reception accorded them on Tuesday evening last when they played an appropriate programme of music at the social given in the Town Hall at Wanganui East in connection with the celebrations held to inaugurate the tram service to that suburb. The various speakers spoke in glowing terms of the band's performances. The .various items were frequently encored, this proving that the band is in good playing fonp. The band has a strong following, and is very popular. Lieut. Buckley returned thanks and intimated that the band would be pleased to include that suburb in its list of performances for the season.

,On November 8 the Garrison Band (Conductor A. Wade) gave a fine programme of music on the" racecourse. The well-known hymn, ''Nearer, My God, to Thee,'' was played in a delightful, style, and all the soloists had a turn in which they added to their reputation. At the conclusion, Colonel Taite congratulated Mr Wade on the excellence of the programme and the equally good, rendering of the separate numbers. I do not think there is a town or city anywhere in New Zealand that supports its bands like Wanganui. In Dunedin band matters are very

quiet. There are practically as many bands there as there are in this city, but v from information to hand I think our bands are the more up-to-date, and we all ltttyW there is plenty of' room for improvement here. Invercargill some two seasons back bade fair to make; her way iii the band ranks. Both: theJDomihiori Band and the Hibernian wefe keen on getting : to the top, but the season of ill-fortune has befallen the Dominion. After Mr Clare Butt left' theiri'-- they had Mr Arnold Kaye down, but could not re■tain him, and he returned to Wellington. The Hibernian and the Garrison are both having a quiet season. Mr Sid. Knight, the conductor of the Hastings Band, is on the war path again, this time in the role of conductor of opera. It is a big jump from a second grade brass band to the music of "A Country Girl." Still, as an amateur combination, the opera was performed every night for a week with success. The soloists were drawn from Napier and Hastings, and the orchestral part was performed by. the Hastings Orchestral Society, which is conducted by Mr Percy Tombs and the present conductor of the Hastings Town Band. Mr Knight made a new rule regarding

(By "MAESTRO.")

the presentation of bouquets to tlie ladies: no bouquet (he directed) should be handed td any one during the performance. The result was that several very beautiful bouquets laid on the piano all night, and were never presented to the intended recipients. W. Lanham, of Woolston, has had a week's engagement with Barton's Circus as trombonist. The Woolston Band had a hard day on Thursday last, playing -all. day at the show, while they gave their first municipal concert of the season the same evening. The playing of the band at the show was generally good, but I will confine my remarks to the concert. The programme was a good one, and, generally speaking, the playing was good. The march, '' Mepliistopheles,'' has been twice included in other programmes this year, and my views have been expressed in | other issues in this column on the way ! this piece has been played. The cornet solo, "My Heart is Weary," was well played by the soloist, except for a few technical errors here and there. The accompaniments were often too loud. "Nabucco" was given with good attack and a big tone. The general ensemble was good, the detail, however, was not so good. Some of the chords were not well balanced, and there were instances where the dissonances were not resolved, and the phrasing as a body was faulty, although some individuals were not to blame. The soprano was at times not good in intonation. One fault in the ensemble was the lack of variety of tune —the tone requires more elasticity. - "Souvenir of Savoy" was very well given. In the overture, "Raymond," the tempo was a bit fast which made this movement appear rather detached,, At figure 2 the demisemiquavers ■were blurred, this portion 'to figure 3, in fact, up to the 2-4 needs more attention. The andantino was taken much too fast. This movement is difficult for cornets, but the extra tempo made it worse for them, especially at 7. The soprano was fair, but not at all sure. The allegro is marked at crochet 120,. but this was taken at nearly 130. A fair crescendo was made, but the forte was reached half way between 11 and 12, so that when the ff was reached the tone was too heavy. The piu lento was fair, but might have been smoother. The finale was not good, the cornets lacking fluency from the piu vivo. "Gems of Mozart" was a good general performance. The waltz, "Jeunesse Doree," was not uniformly good.. There were faults in the rhythm and 'general pulsation and the intonation in horns and cornets was faulty. The final inarch, " Frangesa," was one constructed on a well-known music hall air, and was well rendered. The band certainly are to be congratulated on a good general rendering of a difficult programme. The Ballarat Contest. ' The following were the awards in the Ballarat contest: — A GRADE. , ' Test. Own choice. Tti. Rozolle . . . . 146 146 292 Geelong Har. Trust ' 140 148 288 Ipswich . . . . 145 140 285 Geelong Municipal 130 144 274 Ballarat City . . 130 143 273 MARCHING CONTEST. Music. Drill. Inspctn. Total. Ballarat City .. 76 70 1-5 38 184 1-5 Bozelle . . . . 74 67 34 175 Gpelong Har. Trust 66 64 34 164 Geelong Municipal 66 58 3-5 29 153 3-5 Ipswich ... . . 64 601-5 28 152 1-5 The prizes were as follow —Selection, first £225, second £IOO, third £25, and the Boosey Shield value 75 guineas. March £3O and £lO. After the awards were made known, the second and third winners lodged a protest against the winners, Rozellc, on the grounds that the name of the Rozelle Band was not stated in the official guide book. When the committee met and dealt with the protest, it was dismissed, and the Geelong Harbour Trust and the Ipswich Band both lost their deposits— each. The. South Street Soeiety Committee included two representatives from Victoria. Next week I shall give some interesting particulars in reference to the above contests, and its bands, including the winners, who have won three firsts this year.

to follow her faith, created quite a sensation in Melbourne recently, and she has evidently developed the talents she exhibited when she first delighted New Zealanders in "Peter Pan," and later in the chief part in "Nobody's Daughter." Miss Parkes is deservedly a favourite with New Zealand playgoers.

Miss Ellen Terry "spent a day in Auckland last week on arrival of the Makura from Sydney, en route to Vancouver. The celebrated actress has just concluded a successful tour in Australia, and speaks warmly of the hospitality offered her. It is probable that she will give recitals m the United States before continuing her journey to London.

Mr Hugh Buckler, of the BucklerPaget Company, formerly served his country as an officer in the British Army, and it is quite on the cards that he will have to drop aeting for a while.to go,to the front. He is waiting to hear by cable from England. Mr Buckler and Miss Violet Paget received a warm welcome at their "Little Theatre," Sydney, on their return from, their successful New Zealand tour. \

The action of Australian'theatre managers in reducing orchestras in number, and also in reducing the rate of pay, may cause trouble with the Musicians' Union. The Trades Hall Council will support the union in any action that may be deemed necessary.

In Sydney, on October 28, before Mr Justice Ferguson, the case was concluded in which William Anderson, theatrical manager, claimed £IOOO damages from the dancer, Miss Maud Allen, on account of alleged breach of agreement in not giving performances for a season of three weeks at the Palace Theatre, Sydney. Miss Allan contended: that she was relieved of the obligation to give further performances, when, at the third performance, she received a serious injury to the right knee. She attributed the injury to the unevenness of the stage floor at the Palace Theatre. After three hours' retirement the jury found a verdict for Miss Allan.

In the limelight .again! Evelyn Thaw has gone into motion pictures with a Lubin Company. Miss Dolly Harmer, the '' slavey'' in the "Forty Thieves" pantomime, is to take the part of one of the ugly sisters in 1 ' Cinderella.'' It is said that the Smith-Meyer jirm negotiated with Miss Tittell Brune to come to Australia to play the part of Necia in "The Barrier," but were unable to come to terms. Miss Adelaide Van Staveren, the Wellington singer, recently signed a contract with the Quinlan Opera Company for a tour embracing America, Australia, and New Zealand, but the war has rendered the tour impossible. She is not, however, to remain idle, having entered into a coiltract with the Spizzi Company, who are to open a' season at the Middlesex Theatre, Drury Lane, presently. Miss Yan Staveren will" fill the principal feminine parts in "Carmen," "Trovatore," and '' Faust.'' Mr Frank Gardner, of Auckland, was recently making good in a part in "Grumpy" at the Theatre Royal, Bradj ford. _ News of the death of Mr Harry Lempi iere Pringle, the well-known basso, will be received with regret by theatregoers. Mr Pringle was born in llobart, and his father, whose stage name was Charles Lemprierc, was a well-known operatic singer (baritone) in the seventies. For the most part, Mr Pringle's musical career was in England, but he is well remembered as a member of Mr George Musgrove's first grand opera company, his most notable part being that of Mephistopheles in "Faust." Mr Pringle later, in Melbourne, supported Madame Melba in scenes from opera, and made subsequent appearances in light opera. Ilis greatest success of late years was in "The Chocolate Soldier," in which lie re-appeared in London quite recently.

Stephenson and Linley's "HuniptyDuiupty" Pantomime Company is due to open in Wellington in the Grand Opera House next Saturday. The company is claimed to be a very fctrong one, and in-