BANDSMEN'S COLUMN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8375, 22 July 1905, Page 7

BANDSMEN'S COLUMN.

(By TROMBONE.)

PASSING &OTES.

After all, it is not unlikely that the beople of Christchurcbt will have an of hearing the Woolston Sand during the coimng municipal band concert season. I Ihear that seve-k-al gentlemen have offered to find a of money, equal to ib^ City Counfcil'e grant to each band, i? the Woclston 'combination .will give a series of performances on ±he Victoria- Square Rotunda. The Mayor has ba?n approached with a view to getting permission granted so that the band anay use the fiotunda. The result is thai the Woolsjfcon Band will probably give concerts, £t stated intervals, on Tuesday evenings during the season. Tbis satisfactory arrangement will give much pleasore to the lovers of good brass band performances.

Mr C. E. Hobbs, secretary of the Engineers' Ban 3, lias kindjly B©nt me the following information inregard to th& second-class banti contest, which will be "held on November 9 and 10, in connection "with, the band's carnival.: The selection event (own choice music) will take place in the Colosseum gkating Bink on the evening of Friday, 10, and the solos' and quartets will be decided on the evening of Kovembea: 9 and on the morning of November/ 10. The quickBfcep competition will be held jkt Lancaster Bark on Thursday Afternoon, November 9. All mueiq is to be own choice, and the judge will be iMx W. S. Ki«k> of Christchurch. The prizes are as follow: — Selection :• First prize £25, second £15, third £10, fourth £5; quickstep: first prise .£l2, peoond £8, third £5; solo competitions (open to ID-flat and B-flat cornets, tenor horns, baritones, trombones, euphoniums, E-flat and B-flat basses) : first toriae, gold medal ; second, silver medal; riuartet oompefcitiou: first prize, gold medal to each member of winning pao-ty: second prize, silver medal to »aeh member of wanning party. Entrance fees— Selection £1 Is, quickstep 510s 6<3, quartet 5s and 6olos 2s 6d. A

full list of members must accompany a j baud's entry. Contest rules will bo issued later. Tho quickstep competition will bo judged on music, general appearance, dressing, etc., on the march. Bands must compete in the selection and quickstep contests. Entries will close' with tho secretary, Mr C. B. Hobbs, '58, Bristol Street, St Al-ba-ius, Ohristchuroh, on Wednesday, August IG. Tho idea of the promoters is to cater particularly for the bands of Canterbury, and it is hoped to secure the attendance. of several of the following: — "Waimate, Timaru Marine, Tomuka, Mayfield, Ashburton County, Ashburton Temperance, Little River, Prebbleton, Leestqn, Tai Tapu, Elite, Stanmore, 'Lyttelton Town, Kaiapoi, Itangiora and Kaikoura. Mr T. Andrews, who for some years has been one of the mainstays of the Woolston Band, has found it necessary to resign from that popular brass musical organisation, owing to pressure of business. Mr Andrews has not only I helped the band materially as ah active playing member, but also as a supporter, and his earnest work has had much .to do with the band's success. Mr Andrews has been made a life member, and, needless to say, he will etill continue to give his earnest support towards the welfare of the band. My Temuka correspondent writes: — f Affairs in connection with the Temuka Band Contest are at present progressing favourably. The contest selection, " Satanella," which has been played previously at a contest in this colony, has been procured from Messrs Paling I and Co., of Sydney, and it has been i sent out to tie- competing hands. Several of the bands will certainly have a goodly number of members from which to pick their players, as some of the lists sent in to the secretary contain about forty names. For the quickstep, each band is to play a piece of its own choice, a score of which has to be sent to the committee beforehand. The Waimato Band is 6add to be in active preparation with a view of annexing this prize, while those energetic Volunteer officers, Captains Doinian and Schwartz, of Ashbiuton, are putting in a. deal of time training the two bands which are entering from the prohibition county. Colonel Bauchop has been requested to act as milita.ry judge in con- \ nection with the quickstep. If any bands have conductor's scores, or spare parts of " Satanella " on haaid just now, they can no doubt get rid of them to pecuniary advantage among the

bands competing at Temuka. The scores, in particular, ax© in eager demand at present. Mr Croxford, conductor of the Temuka Brass Band, was in Christchurch '- last week. In an interesting chat with him I gathered that the coming contest at Temuka is going to be a really successful function. All the prize-money and expenses are, practically, guaranteed ; a large pavilion is being built on the Sports Ground, Wiiich will be finished in time for the quickstep competition, and the whole of the contest arrangements are well forward. Mr Croxford hopes to have a good band to represent Temuka, but he regrets the loss of his old trombonist, Bandsman Harbott, who died recently. The deceased was an Imperial Army graduate, and as a player was one of the band's pillars. It is the intention of the Temuka Band to endeavour to form an Association for the second-class bands of Canterbury during the contest proceedings. The Greymouth Battalion Band is advertising for first-class cornet players. Work can be found in the following trades :— Wood-turning, iron moulding, blacksmithing, bricklaying, cabinetaiaking, upholstering or polishing. An- | plications will be supplied with full in-

formation^ on communication with Mr H, Rogers, lion, secretary of the band, care of Box No. 85, P. 0., Greymouth. A sample sheet of some marches has been sant to ms from the Melbourne "Military Band Journal." Amongst the numbers is a march by the popular l^ew Zealand composer, Mr C. Trufisell, entitled "Heart's Delight," a tuneful quickstep, simply set, and very suitable for marching purposes, and one by Mr 0. H. Lawn, bandmaster of the Stratford Municipal Baad, entitled "Monarch of the Ocean," also a simply-ar-ranged quickstep, well suited for bands which do not look for difficulties on the march. The quicksteps can be procured from Mr A. J. Langley, 47, Melville Street, Melbourne, and the cost is Is 6d per set of twenty-five parts.

The Timaru Marine Band recently gave aJi open-air concert in Sophia^ Street, Timaru, near the Monument," and, the evening being fine, a large crowd assembled to en]oy tie music. The band's performance in such wellkribwn items as the " Constellation " inarch, "Old Brigade" (selection), and in the" newer "Automobile" march, was much appreciated, and gave evidence of a large amount of careful preparation. Lieutenant Herd, of the Wellington Garrison Band, will act as adjudicator at the Temnka band contest.

Ther© was a good attendance at the concert given recently by the New Plymouth Military Band in the Theatre Royal, New Plymouth. Under Mr Garry the band performed the following numbers: — Grand ©elections, " Lucrezia Borgia" and "Souvenir de Beethoven " : march, " Return of the Troops"; intermezzo,, "The Star Dreamer" ; romance, '' Simple Aven."

" Pr-esfco," of the Auckland " Star," writes as follows on the judge's criticism on the playing at the Greymouth contest: — " So Mr Laidlaw has created a sensation by his notes and comments on the playing at the recent Greymouth contest. Such is a fact, but not tine sort of sensation ha desired to create, I should say. I have before me the official copy of his remarks, and I unhesitatingly say I have never read such twaddle. When Mr Laidlaw criticised Mr King, and wrote all over the coun-