BRASS BANDS’ CONTEST

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 108, 20 February 1950, Page 2

BRASS BANDS’ CONTEST

ASHBURTON PERFORMS WELL (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Febj 19. Brass bands from Auckland to Invercargill competed this afternoon in brilliant sunshine at the Addington trotting grounds in the hymn test, the opening t event in the New Zealand brass bands’ championship contest. Twenty bands played before a large crowd. * 1 According to the chief judge, Mr H. R. Shugg, of Melbourne, the standard was high. The winner, Woolston, gave an outstanding performance, gaining 95 points of a possible 100. The judge said that the winning band, had beautiful tone, and that the conductor, Mr R. J. Estall, got all he could out of the band/ Results were:—

Woolston Brass Band (95 points) 1, Auckland Watersiders’ Silver (93) 2, St. Kilda Municipal (92)'3, Ashburton Silver and Christchurch Municipal (91), equal, 4. Other placings were:— Greymouth Municipal 90, Kaikorai 89, Wanganui Garrison 89, Palmerston North City Silver 89, Auckland City Silver 88, Wellington Institute Old Boys 88, Wellington Waterside 87, Timaru Municipal 86, Crichton Cobbers 84, Oamaru Garrison 83, Palmerston North Garrison 82, Ist Battalion Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Band 82, Wellington Tramways 81, Ist Battalion Southland Regiment 80, Blenheim Regimental 78.

PRAISE BY MAYOR i “STERLING PERFORMANCE” “With many others from Ashburton, I attended the opening session of the. band contest at Christchurch,” commented the Mayor (Mr E. C. Bathurst)’ to-day. “The Ashburton Silver Band gave a sterling performance,” added the Mayor, “and they clearly must rank with the best first-grade bands in the Dominion. They deserve the heartiest congratulations on behalf of the whole district, and I am sure they will have further successes at the contest. They were perhaps rather unlucky in being the 20th band to play.”