THIS YEAR’S BAND CONTEST

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1931, Page 7

THIS YEAR’S BAND CONTEST

MUSIC MAY DEBAR SOME BANDS. ASSOCIATION UNDISMAYED. By Telegraph-—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In reply to an inquiry, the president of the North Island Bands Association (Mr. IL D. Bennett) stated that he quite expected a dimiifution in the numbers of bands likely to take part in tlv contest. There were two reasons for 'this. One, he thought, was the fact that the test music for the contest was particularly classical and called for the best from every individual in each band. Not many bands in New Zealand could boast of a “full team” capable of tackling difficult music of this kind, and no doubt this would have some bearing on the number of bands participating. Probably the principal reason, however, was the financial stringency. The cost of transport of a full band from, say, Dunedin to Wellington for a week was a serious matter in these days. Asked whether the association had considered the postponement of the contest, Mr. Bennett said that that matter had been the subject of a special meeting, and the association had decided that there were no good reasons for a further gratuitous contribution to the general despondency by ' withdrawing such a valuable antidote as a full week’s carnival of exhilirating music. There would be at least 20 bands in the city, and no doubt marches and processions would make a welcome break. “At any rate, we are going ahead,” he concluded.