WELLINGTON NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7132, 22 June 1901, Page 6

WELLINGTON NOTES.

' ' : (By SCREWGUN.) ..:.: „„.■ Many thanks. ior your full notices of my br.ef notes in your well-read, ' and, to band-men, our only ba,nd m&dium in New Zealand. If in the past t have not been, quite up to time, I muse not forget to s-ay ! that business and the Federal Uontin-gen. had a lot to do with it. Rands -here are not nearly so good as th^r should be. '1 hanks for. your notice concerning Petone Band. It was not haii good enough, and Mr Sherwin did not get even bare justice. Regarding th.s town's bands, they seem to me to be serenely content by a wretched musical standard. iJo long as they plod along and ex-st, a sense of fiatisfaction appears tb prevail. '■ I remember Wellington in 188_», and comparison with 1901 is not favourable. You will be anticipating- a visit, from. Wellington Garrison. This evening 1 interviewed Ms Herd, the -bandmaster of the Garrison, when he assured me that his band could not possibly attend the Royal re-. view. ' fHe (Mr ifard) may possibly have to take ehargfe of North Island bands whfen brigadeid together, but the Wellington bandmaster has had. a surfeit of work, and shows no keenness for a sputhern 'trip. Let me mention that Wellington Garrison numbers. thix<ty performers. Not a -had one in the ranks, but competent and very loyal to W.G.-8.. .'..•;■;:' / '-•',/'" '- Another little matter, -which I aan sure you will record is that Mr Thomas Herd . was made Lieutenant of New Zealand Forces during the month of > April. The honour oame a trifle after the beat; it has been earned long enough. So I congratulate Lieutenant W; V. Siddall and Lieutenant P. H. Mohr, both of Invercargill, on another addition, the same making a fitting trio for the distinction. * Concerning -the contest for the current year. What wifh Commonwealth, visit of Royalty, contingents, and other affairs, the Welling-ton bandsmen have been well e-m- # ployed. But a word in reference to the Wanganui contest. The Wellington fel- j lows could not play fast and loose with ' liberty. You know mamy of ; the iellows j are employees.' Employers have, been in- j diligent, and given tnem no end of rope, but—- -,"'■ ■'■"'■' . ..- .;. Royal review in Christchurch will not see. the WeUington uarrison Band in* full j force, for reason -quite apparent. _iir'-. Thomas Herd, the popular bandmaster, has ' been appointed judge for Ballarat contest, one of -the finest ever held inthe Commonwealth, inter alia,, first prize £200, and for the marching contest only £75 ! I cannot give you much -information regarding mushroom bands. They appear to me to nave fitful lives, and not highly musical at -that. An occasional dash fcr a claim on the public, a mediocre programme .of., music, such appears/tb be the sum total of ' present-day ambition amongst too manybands. I cannot faithfully compare outsiders with - the Garrison.' True, there is ai substratum . of feeling that the Wellington Garrison :'s a fttvoared hand. Well, I ask, does not it deseirve it? Only listen to its < playing on the march during the Duke of York's visit, and the masses that lined the side-walks were unmistakable in tseir, 'honour to Wellington Garrison Band. Lalst Friday night I listened to one Ttf the best programmes ever played by a brass -band in the colonies. As usual, perfect tune, a well-balaiioed baod, superb soloists and no lack of taste. Myddleton's stirring march, "The Last Stand," -made a fine opening for the evening. In this the light and shade and fuller parts were enjoyable feataires, and "The Last Stand'" was muoh applauded. A valse, " Wiener EStrablatter " (by Translateur) was a follower, and was played with such "exquisite attention to its beauties, that it fairly brought forth thunderous applause from the listeners. A selection of English airs followed, but the fulness thereof and the frequency of such airs failed- to bring forth the appreciation merited. A bairn dance, entitled "The Old Plantation" was a spry item;' and the charm of it was the careful treatment it received, and to very many it was a joy. A valse named "Honour Bright" (by Seltzer) i closed the first portion of a rattling programme. In the second half, a pretty overture from Balfe's "Bohemian Girl" led away. Granting that I missed . various, well-known melodies from this old favourite opera, yet- what was played was enjoyable, and Wellington Garrison Band showed its usual quality. "Bohemian Girl"!' Whaib a qeayoi-' melodies therein, and whatever journal it . was played from I vote it an -.excellent. one, and worthy of adoption. Rimmen, valse "The River nfl Peaurls," and my old friend Lieutenant: W. V. SdddaiU's fancy march, • "Minor and Major " (Southwell^ a 'duet, for trombone and euphonium, another of Fitzgerald's valses, and John Phillip Sousa's unrivalled maroh " King Cotton," finished one oif the best programmes thab I havie had tihe joy of hearing sinee -living in the Empire City. Given under the Dresden Piano Company's verandah, I venture that no Barrack Square, officers' mess, or rotunda performance has equalled it. The Commonwealth trip- and compliments : bestowed upon our crack band -have had no ill-effects, but of a verity have improved what we Wellingtoniane have reason to term the finest brass band south of the Equator, and to each bandsman and conductor is due every credit for their riiperb music either on the march or around the stands.