Page 6 Advertisements Column 3

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7678, 11 April 1903, Page 6

BANDSMEN'S COLUMN. ♦- — WANTED to Sell, B-flat Cornel, firs-t-clas-s order, with all accessories;. Apply Wallis, " -Star " Oflice. 5656 (By "TROMBONE!") To Bandsmen. — Correspondents are requested to address their communications to " Trombone." PASSING NOTES. A full muster of membsrs of the Christchurch Garrison Band assured Mr John Cragg that lie had their b'.st wishes and hearty goodwill — arid sanct'Ln — to resign irom the bachelor ranks and " sign on "' in the mighty troop of "Benedicts." Bandsman Ora.gg- not only has the good wishes of his comrades, but of scores of bandsmen throughout the colony. His career as a player in the Stanmore Band, together with his years of unselfish labour as secretary and as ty worker to advance band music, entitles him to the respect and goodwill of all who know him. ifis connection with the. Stanmore Band was at- a time when his services were invaluable, and working members of the old band know the good qualities of Mr John Cragg. I know many distant bandsmen who, when they read this little "minim," will join me in wishing Mr and Mrs J. Cragg long lifc_ happiness and prosperity. Mr F. Holder, conductor of the Pahiatua District Band for many years, has just tendered his resignation owing to private business. He has been must enthusiastic, aud his place will be -very hard to fill. The Kaikorai Band means to shake the first prize at Timairu very severely, and it may even succeed in carrying it to Dunedin. It is a long time since a Dunedin band gained first place at a contest, and victory at Timaru would be welcome to all supporters of bamd music in the southern metropolis. A correspondent says that the band is going in for steady practice on big selections, one of which, :< Satanella," was played at a recent open-air concert given by the Kaikorai Band. Mr Laidlaw is an enthusiastic conductor, and great things arc expected of hiim and.his band in the near future. It cost's £14,500 per annum to run the orchestra at the Paris Opera House. The conductor receives a salary of £42 per month, and his two assistants get £20 apiece. The death is announced of Mr J. Thihouville-Lamy, the founder of the wellknown French band-making firm. When a young brass instrumentalist is beginning to suffer under the vain illusion that he knoAvs how to play and has nothing further to learn, he usually drifts into unconcsious bad habits, such as inattention at .rehearsals, faulty tone production brought about by careless holding of the instrument, for, of course, a little- style in holding an instrument must denote a finished player, incorrect breathing, slipshod execution of passages and careless treatment of the instrument itself. When a man pick's up his instrument and begins to blow wildly and with no set purpose, says an able writer in " Wright and Hound's Brass Band News," he is injuring himself and making himself a nuisance to all M-ho- are around him. How often does a youngi man pick up his instrument as soon as he lias swallowed his tea and begin to blow it straight! Without any copy of music, without making any attempt at playing a tune or a scale, he blazes away at blowing it straight. What a silly thing to do. Robert -Schumann, the great composer and critic, said : " Always play as if sprhe master was listening to you." In many cases it is sheer laziness which prevents them from getting a copy of some solo or exercise to read. There are many who indulge in this silly, senseless blowing, who might bscome first -rate performers if they would compel themselves to observe these rules:— <l) Never blow for the sake of blowing. (2) Never y bbw without having! a piece of music before you, and endeavouring to render it correctly. (3) Never practice a piece that will not lead^you on. (4) Always use your brains in blowing, and do not waste a single breath that does not make you a bitter plavrr. There is 1. famous saxophone quartette in America, consisting of Messrs W. P. Schensley, S. Schaich, F. Paul and F. R. Becker. * Each of these artistes is enthusiastic about the wonderful qualities of these instruments, and it- is their unanimous opinion that, for beauty of tone, perfection of mechanism and artistic finish, no other instrument can compare with the saxophone. The American quartette hag achieved itsr greatest success in performances of high-class music, and the support accorded by the public goes to show that

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