The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1905. THE BAND CONTEST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 42, 18 February 1905, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1905. THE BAND CONTEST.

For the cause that lack* tuaiatance. For the wrong that needs rcvUUmee, For the future in Hie distance, \ And the good that v>9 can do.

i The past week has marked an important epoch, in the history of music in Auckland. We "nave had gathered to i gcther a dozen or more of the finest i brass bands in the colonic-*, including j several performers whose musical know i ledge and technical skill would enable them to rank high in any instrumental competition in the world. Wo have the ! assurance of competent judges that many ;of the performanctts would stand com I parison with the finest achievements in I their line iv England; and tho enthusij" asm with which the large audiences have I greeted the splendid work of the bands 1 shows that good music of this type can Ibe always sure of just appreciation and I popularity amongst us. In an interview I with Mr King published in our last j Friday's issue, reference was made t<.; I the progress of band-playing in New Zealand with in the last twenty years; and special attention was called to the fact that this is the first occasion on • which the three premier bands of the . colony —the Kaikorai, Wellington Gar rison, and Wanganui—have met on< another under such satisfactory con , ditions. Those who have followed tho ■ contest day by day will fully understand I the immense difficulty of the task set the judge in trying to discriminate 1 between bands that have attained so high level of excellence; and they will Ibe prepared to endorse heartily thf eulogies that Mr. King has from time ;to time pronounced upon the perform ' ' uncos of what arc admittedly our best 1 brass bands. As the president of the North Island !! Brass Band Association remarked at the 1 oQicial reception the other day, one of the chief objects of such competitions is !to aid in the refinement and culture of ! the community by raising its standard lof musical taste. That such an object is in every way commendable will hardly be disputed; and it is the more to be regretted that the Auckland bands have ' not been able to take rank among the ; foremost of our exponents of instril menial music. Wo believe it is generally admitted that the Auckland bands have improved i-onsidciably of late years; but it is evident that they, have still a long way to go before they reach the level gained by the leading bands of the colony. This fact we believe is not due to any lack of enthusiasm among our instrun'.pnti'.lists. or any lack of capacity in their instructors, but no band can be kept up to a high level of efficiency without very considerable expenditure; and this means that it requires very substantial popular support. Our readers should lx' aware that none of the Auckland bands receive any financial support j from municipal or public bodies. On I the other hand the Kaikorai. Wanganui, and Wellington bands, which undoubtedly head the list in this colony, receive municipal subsidies to the extent of from £30 io £60 a year, and several others among tho move successful bandcare assisted in the same way. This must of course make a great deal of difference '. to the efficiency of the bands; and we 1 think it time for our own municipal au to consider whether they cannot afford to spend a few pounds a year on so meritorious a public purpose. There is a good opening here for any . musktal enthusiast who is prepared to earn public gratitude by giving pecuniary support to his favourite art; but I without waiting for private assistance, ' we consider that the City Council might well consider whether a good case has . not been made out for the endowment of a municipal band. If the band competition of 1905 lias no other efi'ect upon Auckland than this, it will not have been held in vain.