THE BAND CONTEST

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19985, 18 December 1934, Page 14

THE BAND CONTEST

To the Editor ol " The Timaru Herald ” Sir, —The further letter of your correspondent, Mr Duncan, appearing in your issue of the 11th inst., makes amusing, if not interesting reading. He has a very wide stretch of imagination if he can find in my statement any reference, implied or otherwise, as to seniority of Associations. Seeing, however, that he has raised the point, it is as well he should know that the New Zealand Brass Bands’ Association was founded as far back as 1889. and to-day has a membership of 85 affiliated bands. Now for some facts. The venue for the 1935 Championship Brass Band Contest w r as inspired by the Timaru Municipal Band, whose energetic secretary made a preliminary application for the fixture, at the time of the annual meeting of the New Zealand Brass Bands’ Association, held in Wellington in February last. Subsequently a public meeting was held in Timaru to launch the proposal, and after securing an adequate guarantee, a formal application was made to the Management Committee. This was considered along with applications from other towns, and resulted in the championship fixture being granted to Timaru. The Piping and Dancing Association took no official part in these negotiations, and it was only when the Brass Band event was well-established, that the piping interests sought to have the programme extended to include a Pipe Band Contest. Mr Duncan talks cheaply of excuses and absurdities, and makes a statement to the effect that the Timaru Contest Committee were told by the New Zealand Brass Bands’ Association that if they included a Pipe Band Contest, the control of the contest would be taken out of their hands. It hardly becomes the president of the Piping and Dancing Association to make such a rash statement, which is entirely untrue. The Timaru Contest Committee have never at any time received such a threat. On the contrary, they were ready and willing to accept the advice of the Management Committee, and everything points to their enterprise and labours being

amply rewarded Mr Duncan says that the Piping and Dancing Association took it for granted that it would be a joint contest. But why? What part did his Association take in organising the contest? If it took no part in the early negotiations, and sits back content to rely upon the initiative and enterprise of another organisation, then I fail to see what claim it has on the New Zealand Brass Bands’ Association. Mr Duncan states that there is one fact that must not be lost sight of, and that is that pipe bands are just as much appreciated as brass bands. Probably he is right. I would not question his statement, but if he is correct, then there will be no need in in future to look to the brass band organisation to stage a contest for them.—l am, etc., ERNEST PALLISER. President New Zealand Brass Bands’ Association Wellington, December 13.