THE EXHIBITION BAND CONTEST

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

THE EXHIBITION BAND CONTEST

"Mu&icue," a well-known and popular band conductor; has sent me the following suggestions for tke Exhibit-lon Band Contest: —

Tho data of the contest should be fixed as soon as possible, as there are several bauds in the North Island which cannot attend both the Hawera contest and the Exhibition event — that is, if both are to be held during 1906— and these bands will have to decide, very soon, which contest they vail attend. I feel cejtain if even an approximate time for holding the Exhibition contest can be given soon, that the information would be very much appreciated, and it would add to the attendance of North Island bands in particular. Then, again, I would suggest that the actual time for the contest should not exceed four days, as it is a difficult matter for men to get leave of absence for more than eight days, and a four days' contest would mean an eight days' engagement ! for the bands within, say, one hundred miles of Ohristchuron, and the bands ■ from Auckland — and I hear that there | is a possibility of several attending — woula require to sacrifice a fortnight in time. Then, in regard to allocating \'vae prizes in the selection contest, I would suggest that the second prize should be riot more than one-fourth less in value that the first prize, and that the third prize should be nearly onehalf that of the value of the first, and soon; and, instead of giving such large prizes in the quickstep contest, I would increase the number of prizes in the selection event, as it is in this section that one looks for music, from an ai*tistic standpoint.

(Tb,e Exhibition contest will in no way clash with the Hawera one, for it will bo about February, 1907, before -it is likely to be held. It is the North Island contest of that year which will be