PROFESSIONALISM IN BAND CONTESTS UNDER DISCUSSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18393, 20 February 1928, Page 5

PROFESSIONALISM IN BAND CONTESTS UNDER DISCUSSION.

At the annual meeting of the South Island Bands Association to-day, Mr R. J. Estall objected to professionalism being introduced into the status of amateur bands. Mr Estall said that he would tender his resignation as trustee if the matter was not gone into. The secretary (Mr T. F. Hall) : It is not the association’s fault that we are drifting into professionalism: it is the fault of the bands themselves. It was stated by Lieutenant W. 11. Osborne (Timaru) that at the Dunedin contest some bands played as many as four professionals, which practice was done at every contest. He contended that the executive knew all about the matter, but did not make any attempt to stop it. The president (Dr 11. T. J. Thacker) stated that he quite agreed that with an amateur body there should be only the legal number of professionals. No Australian bands had competed in the country, as it was not known who the constituents were. Mr Estall said that he felt very strongly on the question of professionalism, and that a professional was only a cypher in an amateur band, and should be eliminated. Some years ago, when visiting Australia, he found that the Ballarat band comprised as many as ten professionals. The result was that in two years there were no band competitions in Ballarat, the amateur element being literally squashed. Every competition in New Zealand showed a tendency for fewer bands to compete owing to the infection of professionalism. Mr Osborne said that, though he agreed with Mr Estall in the main, the deletion of every professional would not be to the best interests, especially where country bands were concerned. He would say that one professional was an advantage, bpt beyond that number a detriment. The president suggested that the matter should be left over to the next annual meeting, adding that lists of all competing bands should be exhibited in a public place, so that their professional or amateur status could be challenged.