PARSING NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7667, 28 March 1903, Page 6

PARSING NOTES.

Mr Thomas Young, late deputy-bandmas-ter of the. A>'hburton Town Band, i.» now a resident of Ch'riftchurch, having opened a. business in Madras Street. Mr Young is prepared to receive pupils for all brass instruments, valve, and slide, al?o io give lessons in harmony. He holds certificates for the latter from the London College of Music. The Ca.rterton Brass Band took up a collection at a recent open-air concert for its instrument fund, and realised the munificent sum of £1 11s 9(1!. A pipe band has been formed in Waimate, and Mr A.; Cooper has been appointed temporary instructor. At the meeting at Timaru to consider the band contest proposals, someone suggested, in regard to when the pip-e band contest should be held, that the pipes might go on with their contest, after the bra«s bands had finished at night. What about the feelings of the neighbours on the matter? A pipe band' contest " in the sma' hours o' the morning" would be calculated to slightly interfere with the gentle slumbers of peaceful citizens who might live near by. Besides, the pipers would have something to say in the matter, for brass music- is impossible to the cultured bagpipe ear, and s\.rely " music should come before row," as an enthusiastic piper was once heard to designate- the difference between his loved pipes and a brass band, the " row," of course, referring to the brass instruments. But, joking apart, the pipe band contest is a good 1 idea. May it be successful. "From triangle to conductor's baton" will probably be the title of the biography of Bandmaster Meyrick, of Palmerston Town Bs.nd, if ever he gets beyond the stage of newspaper fame. Mr Meyrick has gone.-Home as one of the rank and file of

the New Zealand IJmid. When he started tapping \hf; tnnii|{lp )ic didn't know one note of niupir. To-day, life i» one of the recojfniHmt comet, soloists of the colony, and ifM'ler of «, tand that has won honoiiraMa places &t< colonial contests. — " Ohstrtr r. ' TJi*> Npw Z^aia-rtd Bond was given a most ttaifiusksfki s-snd-off cm March 19. Besides ibr; ihrrtjlicTS of In* Farewell Committee, then w* m pr"p«eiifc at the Central Fire Bri- | yndf, Btftfcioii, vhern the band vas entertttifi&d, fli/re representatives of the Gov<;f»ment (viz,, tiiitj. Hons W. C. Walker, U. H. MM* and 1". Y. Duncan), the Hona J. Ilitcg juid >.l. K. Jwikinson, members of tho Legislative Council, and Messrs W. H. Vioiil, .1. (i. W. Ait ken and F. E. Baume, M.H.K.'r. After the luncheon a- public reception v/a,n accorded toe band irom the Jorvom Quay Kotunda. A very large crowd was prwirn. 1 . The band, under Lieutenant Herd, nlnved in fine style the "8.8. and C.F. March." Then Mr J. G. W. Aitken, M.H.IL, on behalf of the city, and tiheHon W. C. Walker, M.L.C., on 'behalf of the Government, made speeches, in which bock gentlemen wished the players every success during their coming tour. They both felt wire that Lieutenant Herd and his band would not only give a good account of themselves at Home, but would give tlhe colony a great advertisement. Cheers were given for the players and their leader. The band then played " Scotland," a selection of national airs, and more cheers followed, with the singing of " For They are Jolly Good Fellows " by a section of the crowd. Calls were made for Lieutenant Herd, who, in response, said the band was going s^orne to musically represent the colony, and show the people, at Home that New Zealand was not inhabited by savages. .. The playing of "Auld Lang Syne" and 'the National Anthem by the band brought tibe proceedings to a close. , The "Wanganui Herald" understands that all the South Island bands which competed at the Masterton contest, will be represented- at Timaru. The bandmaster, and members of the Kaikorai Band are so thoroughly disgusted at the decisions in the Masterton contest, particularly in the position attained by the Wellington Garrison Band, that they notified: the Timaru committee they would compete only under the condition that two judges were appointed, and that they should be treated with the respect due to judges of the Supreme Court — no communication to be held with them by competitors during the contest. The Kaikorai Band also suggested that applauseduring the contest should be prohibited as far a-s possible, so that the judges- would not" be influenced by the feelings of the audience. More Sunday playing. The Newton Band gave a performance of several pieces of music on Sunday, March. 22, in the Albert Park, Auckland, to a large and appreciative audience. A ■ correspondent writes to the Auckland "Herald" saying that he hopes such performances will be continued on every fine Sunday. He says that the bandsmen should not have to go round with box^s for a collection, but that a band fund should ba made up by boxes being left at the various music-sellers' shops. It is not improbable that were the boxe? left for donations to be put in for bandsmen they would find it to be a case j of Mother Hubbard. .j The Onmaru Citizens' Band will give a sacred concert in the Gardens of tlt£ Whits ! Stone City on Sunday, April 19. This will mark the first occasion of a band giving a Sunday open-air concert in Oamaru. lt°wiil probably lead 'to adverse comment from a sect ion of the community. Monty is no object! . Tlnv latest Go- 1 vernment enterprise (says the Manawatu " D:iiiy Times) is to send home with the Now Zealand Band, Rangiuia, an undersized Maori with a thin, piping voice, who is to join Mrs Howie (a daughter of Colonel Porter) in a sort of side show in connection with the Band performances. Rangiuia was at R-ahotu with a strolling concert company, when he was." sent for" by the Hon J. Carroll, and packed off to London. i The Wellington correspondent, of the Dunedin " St:ir"' writes ;is follows: — Rumour says that everything has not been plain sailing with the affiur.f of the New Zealand Band, which left for the Old Country by the Curinthic, and the members do not appear to be a happy family. There is a feeling of discontent among bandsmen at the manner in which the scheme has been carried out! and particularly is this the ciyse with the Wellington Garrison Band. One of the players originally selected (Mr L. King), formerly of the Polfard Opera Company's orchestra., has dropped out to accept a remunerative engagement elsewhere. A pleasing little function took place in the Masterton Wesley an Schoolroom on March 16, after the New Zealand Band con- | cert, when the members of the Masterton | Band made presentations to Conductor F. W. G. MVLeod and 'Bandsman H. Dixon, of tbe New Zealand Band. Bandmaster A. W. Russell made the presentations, and on behalf of the members had much pleasure in. presenting Conductor M'Leod with a o-entlem.an's dressing-case, and Bandsman Dixon with a •' smoker"* companion" as marks of esteem an^ '.ood fellowship. Both the recipients, suitably replied, after which cheers were given for" Masterton's representatives in the New Zealand Band.