AMUSEMENTS.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11861, 15 February 1907, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS.

; |TIIE BESSES O'TH' fe^RN :4BAND 'y^ : : Tho history of this Band is a unique one in the musical world. The title "Besses o' th' ' Barn" is the name of a small village near Manchester, where they began to practise over one hundred years ago. The Besses, by command, have played before King Edward, carried away the honors in competition in England and all over Europe, and have fairly earned the right to be regarded as the champion of champion bands. They play music not in the repertoire of the ordinary brass hand; the "Ride of the Valkyries," for example, is one of their approved selections, and the intricate weoving in the strings of the "Tannhauser" overture presents no difficulties to these masfcersj of brass instruments. During the current season the Besses will visit tho principal New Zealand centres with intent to "show the residents what notable musical results can be produced by a group of well-trained instrumentalists equipped only "with keyed brass trumpets and instruments of percussion. Conductor Alexander Owen, who conducts the Band, has been their leader for twenty-two years past. He is the chief exponent in England of brass band technique, and is busy all the year round training and rehearsing one or another of the five thousand or more bands in the United Kingdom. Magnificent welcomes have been tended this wonderful combination in every town where they have appeared, and from reports to hand, their splendid music is like a beautiful organ, without the brassy sound so common with other bands. The box plans for reserved seats are now on view at Jackson's, and the Band will appear in Nelson on Tuesday and Wednesday next.