WELLINGTON GARRISON

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6362, 17 December 1898, Page 7

WELLINGTON GARRISON

(Conductor: Mr THOMAS HERD:) The three virtues of this Y:and — consistency, advancement' and brilliancy — -and the duster of victories won by it as a band and by its soloists, give it a colonial reputation. rThi3 1.-write. w!t-li <lne regard to InvercargiH, Oamaru. Chris telmreh Garrison and the Dunedin winner, Kaikorai. When "Wellington Garrison Band in 1891, at : Dunedin, plnyed" " Waj»nei\" with Tom Goodchild off lead^who.by thortvay, rose from a sick be«l to piny his solos— it came ■well up" at tho £uisb. * Sirica then the accompanying; record is- eloquent in. itself. The telliny characteristic in Wellington Garrison Band is the singleness of. purpose; but perhaps its strongest, point is In having 1 a hardworking able and mo3t enthusiastic bandmaster. There is no laxity tolerated, nothing slipshod is allowed, but a strict adherence to every rule calculated to make the band excellent is required, and- to-day ilrat adjective is exactly fitted ; to " W.G.8." Even when out of first prize position the members were philosophical, hopeful and determined to lead the way — and they have succeeded ! "VJSorew-gun,7 "Viator," t: Cadenza," and other correspondents each ■write in complimentary strains of the above band, and a Christchurch gentleman, who listened to its '• Falstaff" recently was enraptured with the playing, and drew unmentionable comparisons between it and some bands. The following is tho record of the band Brace 1890 :— Quickstep contests— Dunedin Exhibition, 18dO, firso prize; Wellington Exhibition, 1596-7, first prize. Contests— Feildincr, IS9I, n'rst prize; Timaru, 1895, first prizes Wellington, 1896-7, first prize ; Oamaru, 1897, first prize; Napier, 1597, first prize ; fourth at Dunedin in 1891 ; third at- Wellington in 1592 ; second at Christchurch in 1893; did not compete ift. 1894 at Invercargill. Since 1595 has not been beaten. Truly a grand combination, of consistency, improvement and brilliancy. Solo winners and prize-takers : jj; flat soprano. G. Buckley, first at Oamaru and Napier; B fat cornets, L. T. King; second at Oamaru, do P. If. Denton, second at Napier; E flat horn, E. W. Nicholson, first at Wellington Exhibition and at Napier; baritone, C. A. Forest, second at Oamaru and at Napier; euphonium, J. A. Donaldson, first at Napier; trombone (slide), H. Cummins, second at Wellington, first at Napier ; E fiat bass, H. J. Dickson, second at Wellington; fiWt at Napier ; B flat bas3, W. Smith, second at Timaru, first at Wellington and first at Napier,- double B flat bass, A. Baker, second at Wellington and Napier.