BAND CONTEST

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19904, 14 September 1934, Page 5

BAND CONTEST

MEETING OF GENERAL COMMITTEE PROGRESS REPORTED Arrangements for the New Zealand Brass Bands contest to be held in Timaru in February were discussed at a meeting of the Contest General Committee last night. Present—Messrs G. J. Wallace (chairman), F. Hesse, J. Peacock. J. Rennie, H. Segar, W. Burns, J. Willmott. J. McKenna, J. Palliser, H. W. Lister, W. A. Cumming, J. M. C. McLeod, J. Hole, M. H. Richards, J. Williamson, J. Toneycliffe, John Simpson, J. W. Adams, S. Anderson. R. A. Rodgers. M. Feeley, W. Andrew, W. Catter, W. J. Lister, A. Riley, T. Rose, W. H. Foden, and the secretary (Mr C. G. Baker). A comprehensive report on the work of the various committees was submitted by the secretary, who said that arrangements were proceeding satisfactorily. The grounds committee (organiser. Mr P. C. Vinnell) had had a strenuous time in going over all the grounds, and recommended to the executive that Fraser Park be accepted. He had advised the committee to hold over consideration of the ground for the quickstep until early in October, when Messrs Osborne and Palliser would be in Timaru, and the committee would have the benefit of their experience in making a selection. He praised the work of the committee and said that its duties were not yet finished, as there were halls also to be arranged for. The transport committee (organiser, Mr J. M. C. McLeod) was considering various important transport matters. It had to consider the advisability of trying to arrange an excursion train from Dunedin pr even further south, on Sunday, February 17, also a return train from Timaru to Dunedin or further south on the following Sunday so that southern bands would have the advantage of leaving home on Sunday and returning on Sunday, thus saving an expense of about £3O to each band. This did not appear to be a very big thing but it showed the enormous amount of money that would be left in the town should these bands have to pay 10/- a day board. Should there be a record entry of, say, 25 bands, it would mean that they would leave in Timaru about £375 a day. It should prove to the public, and especially the business people, what a wonderful thing it was to hold' a band contest in Timaru. The finance committee (organiser, Mr J. W. Adams) would, the secretary felt sure, do everything possible to eliminate expense and assure that the contest would be a financial success.

Accommodation Arrangements. The accommodation committee (organisers, Messrs G. Sara and J. M. C. McT had looked into the matter of accommodation for the various bands, and had assured the executive that it could provide 25 bands with good and not temporary accommodation. Hotels and boarding establishments should understand that a band consisted of 30 men only, and in each case a band required to be kept together. Private accommodation for outsiders attached to bands could also be arranged for. The entertainment of bands committee (organiser, Mr F. B. Hawkey), in conjunction with the fathers’ committee (organiser, Mr M. H. Richards) would have everything arranged in good time. The programme committee (organiser. Mr W. H. Foden) and the advertising committee (Senior-Ser-geant I. H. Mathieson) were proving their worth and had matters well in hand. The prizes committee (organisers. Messrs J. Hole and A. L. Gee) had been responsible for a good deal of work in connection with the selection of cont.st medals. Each jeweller in town was given a month in which to submit designs and m?dals, and the design (the work of Mr P. W. Rule) forwarded by Mr J. Fraser, was approved. The design included a picture of Caroline Bay with a background of the Southern Alps. The thanks of the executive were due to the jewellers for the thought they had put into the designs. “It seems to be the aim of each committee and the executive in particular to make the Timaru contest a contest that will be remembered by bandsmen for many y"irs,” said the secretary. Mr Adams said that it was proposed to run an art union in connection with the quickstep the holder of a ticket being admitted to the grounds. The secretary said that 42 medals would be required for the contest, and already he had received promises from Messrs F. Smith, J. Fraser and Derry’s Band.