Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1950. BAND CONTEST

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 112, 24 February 1950, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1950. BAND CONTEST

Those closely associated with band contests will verify the fact that tlhere has been dissatisfaction over the system of allotting points for the championships in the respective grades. Many years ago the hymn test and the music in the quickstep were included in the aggregate to find the champion hand, but both these were dropped and the championship was decided on two test selections. The adjudicator for many years one only was appointed—allotted points, and the aggregate over the two tests decided the issue. . At first points were published after each test, and then this system was dropped, the points for the first test being withheld until the second test had been played. For the last two years a panel of three judges was used, and with this change came another, that of allotting championship points according to the number of bands in the grade. For instance, if there were eight bands in the championship grade, the maximum points would be eight for the winner, seven for second, six for third and so on down the scale. The unfairness cf this system is obvious. The winning band in the first test might be six or seven points ahead of the second band on performance, and yet, so far as the champion's hip is concerned, the winner gains only one championship point over the next band. Nelson Garrison won the A grade this year with eight and six points, and Wellington Boys’ Institute were second with 13. In marks, however, the two bands were level with 257. The B grade resulted in a farce, with thr.ee bands out of five competitors tieing with seven championship points. Had the aggregate marked been chosen. Christchurch Municipal would have won, Auckland City Silver would have been second and Oamaru Garrison third. Actually on a marks basis two bands would have tied for first and two for second in the A grade this year, but it would have been an unusual result. Something needs to be done about the matter for even B grade bandsmen considered the result a joke. The whole point is that the championship at the moment is not a real championship. The only way to find a champion band is to submit it to a test of all conditions the average band has to meet in the course of its activities, and that includes hymn playing and playing on the march.' If the championship included all the points for music, hymn test, two selections and music in the quickstep, then there would be no tie in the aggregate, and the really versatile band would be found. It has been argued that a rapid change in weather can affect the result of the quickstep, but that aspect can apply to many othei fields of endeavour. Such . a system would do away with the present unsatisfactory state of affairs, and would ensure all bands devoting a certain amount of time to all four, whereas at present some miss the hymn test and some the quickstep, because they do not affect the championship.