BAND GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5961, 28 August 1897, Page 7

BAND GOSSIP.

FROM FAN/ ASD JSEAIt. [By Tomtom.l A TOPetins: of the Brvnd Contest Committee ■was held on A ugust 23, at which several entries for the solo competitions were received. They were accepted, nnd it was i decided to extend the closing of entries to Sept. 21, owing to a number of bands not i having received programmes. A. vote of th<> bands entered for the forthcoming band contest in Oamaru hag : (says the Oamaru Moil) resulted in the election of Mv T. Tallis Trimnell, of Wellington, as judge.- Mr Trimnell has twice acted ns judge in contests in New Zealand— at Dunedin in 1891 and at Wellington in 1802. InConnection with tbe intercolonial band Contest, ; to be held in the Town : Hall, Sydney, in Nyvemberi under the patronage., of 'hisExceUency' Viscount Hampden and. ; the New. South Wales Ministry, JJ4OO will be given as bash "priijea,^ *j>|r-G-.- A. Martin, ... of ; l^apgauui, has been- asked ito send in.lus name for nomination to ract as ju§ge, V, . .7],' ■: On .Friday- ey^aing the Rangiora Brass Band gave -a" farewell "social" to Mr H. "Maynard, who is leaving Rangiora for Ashburton. Mr C. Tyler, bandmaster, expressed the regret felt at losing such a competent and valued member b£ the band, and presented Mr Maynard with a silver-mounted pipe as a parting gift from his comrades. Mr Maynard suitably acknowledged the gift. It 19 years since the Stanmore Band ht'.jf the '••"■"; •>(_;<.*•.■ c: playh. *.a funeral m,.r<_h ■'■ _bs JV-i-j. Un turdav last tV.ij r-laved at th-.- lute Mr « . 0 . Wood's f-.inei-ai. '-''-j ■.-".ec-<..:..7.'-d *.vh._r a member p.'>:-!?p.-:'."j ■■ doi; !.'!■.' virtue l-r vas a good •player ".I.* a r.-.re W ■■.>r : . w : eou-jciquently a ! -•i;.'i.h- popular ujo:u!j»:' ■-.•-,(_ his sudden : c-.,.-rh was muoh ve : >'r-Tl.-ii.l. Mr Foley ss^ 1 ' as band iiiEso.-rr «i;d ac< L aitted him'jfcll ■' W'.-li,' uvi. !"hij im:i:.-/r of old-time P-Vrer.-. ..i-rea-lKi jur^tc-a-to the reV(.'7.t. ;'u v.-hi:h tht. ckoK-m-d ■•■•ua held. The ' clhiiv'^! r ; -.*n-*h, '* .Saul/ vrss well played by a buud iv.-entv-c-it-ht su*<y*g. The death : J.'il vt !•. r.:Uunoie i - W. 'Slay, 7^, Mcintosh, ■] Gfo.7': i'p'.7.'cv' >>.u7 >'.".'<jv. Wooct. ■ '..:. ; .rf*.- ..•' V --.'Li-'.:-,u, [i-.v <- ■■■■■atest secretary of 'nnoy. rt, v.;.:. ■.:■■. -h good news in '! ..^V7rL>"--. t.> t-.* w.y~-:- v. i 7 held there. I:-. Ht;:^ vrM '<".: berh numerous and * ; uifd, ai-'-^jndgU.u* by t-\:.?i tenor of Mr * L l 'Aiith.-e.'" "s-Ts.yi-1* rhe ci: : :n.i of Napier 1 •-s good a !-..';<■ ■ y^o-hi:^. Dannevirke, ' ' Gisborne,. Wellington and. southern bands '' have signified their intention of entering. • The prize list will be— first .6100, second JJoO-r-the same as the Association schedule. The conditions provide for one test piece and one own choice, which should make the Napier contest exceedingly attractive. Mr D'Authreau says : — "The test piece has been ordered from England, and will arrive Bhortly. The committee invite all Association bands to Napier to compete." The Lyttelton Brass Band held its annual meeting on July 27. President Burns occupied the chair, and about thirty members were present. The balancesheet showed tbat the band was in a very fair financial position. The following : officers wero elected for the ensuing term : < — Deputy-bandmaster, Mr J. Porteous; sergeant, Mr G. Beecrof t ; corporal, Mr G. : Porteous ; secretary, Mr D. Forman • committee, the four officers and Messrs W. Gower, F. Childs, F. Huston and E. Foster. : It was decided that the annual " social " beheld on Sept. 3. After the business of the meeting was finished the conductor, Mr G. E. Collins, on -behalf of the members/, presented Deputy - Bandmaster Porteous with a handsome clock and cruet on the : occasion of his marriage. , The members of the Christchurch ; Engineers' Band were entertained by < lady friends on Friday, August 13,. at j a Cinderella "social " held in the band hall, which was tastefully decorated for the , occasion. The fancy dresses worn by the < ladies blending with the uniforms of the ( members formed a pleasing spectacle. Dancing was kept up well into the small \ hours to music provided by Messrs Simp- - Bon and DOcherty.' The singing of " Auld \ Langf Syne" brought a most enjoyable \ evening to a close. A return " social " by i the members to their lady friends is mooted. Tenders for new uniforms have , been advertised for, and matters in connec- ■ tion with the band are all that could be wished — full practices, no grievances and perf ect harmony auioii g members. The band ' is going to Napier, but cannot attend \ Oamaru on account of unsnitability of • dates. The Challenge Shield, presented by ' Messrs Besson and Co., Limited, of Lon- ' don, the well-known musical instrument : makers, and for whom Messrs Charles ' Begg and Co, of Dunedin, are the agents, was on August 12, at the latter's warehouse, \ handed over to the Executive of the New Zealand Bands Association for competition : amongst the brass bands of the colony. ' The Executive were represented by Messrs W. Wills (president), E. Stratton (vice- '■ president), and R. M'Lellan (secretary). : The shield is made of silver, mounted on ebony, aiid bears the following inscription : — " United Brass Bands Association of New Zealand. Presented by Besson and Co., Limited, London, England, sole makers of the Prototype brass instrc- ' ments." On the top of the shield is an iEolian harp, in the centre a pair of crossed trumpets surrounded by a wreath, and at the bottom a scroll bearing the first four bars of * Home, sweet hoipe.' There are twelve miuiature shields, on which the names of the successful bnncta -will be inscribed, while the whole is surrounded by beautiful filigree work. " Musical," writing from Timaru, is -..■■■Ai .;.!;>;,".'■ about the Protestant Band. '* -.V .:■ i-.iil. near it when it visited Christ--1 vi. iU-refore I cannot oblige "Musi- . i :..: *. request he has made. .During. •?.-_ r .thy here good accounts were to ' r.-'nA fit, and many congratulatory - :■•■■■ •*-.:_• .re made about Mr H. Bezzant's ..'r-7-9.' To' quote from "Musical's" i - •-'.<■ present baftdmatters in Timaru | €•- '?• i ' :'e heat, a jealous feeling having ' - ; ; * . -\ apparently at the rapid progress \ • ; ij; the Protestant Band. The mem- j l.i:, <_._' ::u3 band are always willing to turn j -. .-.' -..'hei*. called upon, and their veadmess to j . >li'"-:: :aaking them great favourites with j ti .-.- y •. !<). One of the largestcrowds seen at , C. I'.'iiiv- Bay on Sunday listened to a sacred j co i.'.'fv by the band, and seemed to greatly ■...*■ . iy It. Tho band turned out on August ::• ar.d cave an open air concert in aid of ■'.*. Caroline Bay Extension Fund. I am by -'TinuA the members have under con-<-i ; ".-; i the advisability of- purchasing ten or twelve moro instruments, which ] would bring the strength up to tv/enty- J eight or thirty players. The idea is, if possible, and -they see' there way clear, to go for contest honours next year. There is no reason why they should not, as the band contains some good players, aud young ones aro coming on. The Euphonium solo playing by Bandsman J. Kay is of a very high order. As a bass player in the Timarn Garrison he carried off either first . or . second honours at contests. in, Chri3t*-torch7and.v elsewhere;: and - ' has decide_ily.ißiproseji'since -then:. . •- - : " 65th," writing from Blenheixn.says i-— *W c have two bandshere — Garrison, and Hibernian. The latter.hasi decided to; procure a new. uniform, and- has sent to America for specimens, but. I trust it does uot intend to send the order out of the country. Support local . industry is my idea. A friendly rivalry exists between the bands, which iB a good thing, as it serves to keep members up to their practice. The Garrison averages fifteen at practices out of a membership of seventeen, which is remarkably good, seeing that some of the members live six miles from the practice-room. Rough playing is the fault of both bands, but there is hope of curing that. Wright and Round's "Journal" is the favourite, and I do not think, taking it all round,, that it can be beaten. I have often thought the Association should take steps to arrange a contest for second and thirdclass bands, which have no earthly chance against the cracks. If this were done, the Association would be far stronger than it is. How many second-class bands belong to it now ? Not many I warrant. Could you not get some of your readera to give tw the history of some of the Imperial

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bands that were in New Zealand. I remember a good many of them, the bost, to my mind, being the ldth Royal Irish. Quinn was the bandmaster aud a good player; but they said his leader, Cleary, was better. You recently alluded to the work done by the Lyttelton Band on Jubilee Day. I think the Blenheim Garrison went one better. Its programme was as follows . — Sunday, Juno 20, volunteer church parade, afternoon played at hospital; Monday, procession, afternoon children's picnic, evening combined bands and fire brigade torchlight .procession; Tuesday, played volunteers to station at 9 a.m. for Picton, arrived there had procession, picnic in afternoon, torchlight procession in evening, arriving home in Blenheim at 9 p.m. What do you think of that, and all for nothing? And the public expects the band to find music, instruments, &c, from its funds. It shows the willingness of the members to ttu*n out and help along anything that is going, and it is to be hoped the public will recognise their many services by supporting ■the band's art.aimon. ■■'- •_-: Yet, again, t have to thank. Messrs Wright and Round for the budget received by the mail, which isJull. of entertaining matter. •-. The London news by " Cuivrea " teems with interesting items of the Jubilee. Kappey's " Souvenir de Wagner" was the test piece at the Victorian era contest, and in the final stage Wyke Temperance beat the world-renowned Black Dike Band by one point. The closing performance (writes "Cuivres") "was by the famous band of the Black Dike Mills, under the truly skilful guidance of Mr John Gladney, whose ability as a first-rate musician, even apart from this class of work, is well known and recognised in metropolitan musical circles. To this band much has been given, and of them much is required and expected. Undefeated for three years, or thereabouts, they played with a confidence and ensemble truly grand. Just at first, in the fanfare, the lower cornets were not nice in intonation, but the fault was no sooner audible than it was gone. The euphonium played 'Oh ! Star of Eve/ as if he loved it; his phrasing weuld have done credit to a De Reszke or a Bispham, his articulation as faultless as his tone was pure. So, also, the solo-cor-net revealed liigh artistic power ; and the baritone ' spoke his piece ' well and truly." Points— Wyke Temperance 80, Black Dike. 79. • The judge was Mr W. Short, Ii.C.C., and a member of Her Majesty's Private Band.' The following was the judging arrangement, which is somewhat novel : —Possible points: Style JO, quality 10, precision 10, solo cornet 10, euphonium 10, soprano 10, baritone 10, horns 10; total 80. It will be seen from this Wyke Temperance scored the possible.