THE SOLO COMPETITIONS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11499, 4 February 1903, Page 7

THE SOLO COMPETITIONS.

(SPECIAL TO "THE rttXSfl.")

MASTERTON, February 3. At the band contest this morning Mr Ord Hume was able to announce the results of four of the solo competitions. The victory of J. J. Oosgrove, of Masterton, in the B flat baritone contest, was a great surprise, as ihe defeated two favourites in Dixon, of the Wellington Garrison Band, and A. Martin (formerly of Stanmore Band, Cbrfetchuroh), now of Wanganui. Dlxon, who won the event last year, was able to score only 62 points as against 74 awarded to Cosgrove. The judge found fault with Diion because of his detached style of playing, and Martin's he considered rather empty in tone.

Another surprise was the result of the euphonium solos, in which A. J. O'Brien, of Kaikorai. one of the bandsmen selected for the New Zealand, team to visit England, was unplaced, and A. J. Donalason, of the Wellington Garrison Hand, was last on the list. The winner was W. Staines, of Denniston, who was for some years a member of the Dunedin Garrison Band, and wae at cne time in W&ihJ. The judge gave high praise to Stainea for his playing, awarding him 96 points out of a possible 100. He spoke of the true musical feeling which he had displayed, and described him ac a capital and capable soloist. In Mr O'Brien'e performance the judge discovered more throat work than tongue work, also that the majority of the notes were pushed instead of being delivered with, the tip of the tonjßs. Tints "pushing style," he save, is a bad fault, which must lie remedied at once; ' the player must secure a better method of attack. Donaldson , * work we* severely "slated" because of hie want of expression. The Double B Rot Base Solos and the G Trombone Solos comprised practically the whole morning's work. In these competitions there wae some very poor playing, especially in the G Trombone Solos, where the judge, in awarding tibe prize, gave it to tka best of a bad lot. The winner, G. Boyd, of Wanganui, could score only forty, while two of the five competitors actually broke down—Webster, of Kaikorai, and P.* J. Young, of Masterton. Young coUapsed at a tricky cadenza m the last few bans of the piece, otherwise he wout.d have won.

J. J. Cosgrove, the winner of the firtt prize far the Baritone Solos, was born in Napier, and is twenty-eeven years of ageHe was for some time a member, of the Waipawa Band, bat has been in Masterton for about four months. At lie Wanganrii contest in 1901 he finislied second to N. Grayin the Euphonium Solos, whilst last yew at New Plymouth: lie -was one of a quartette team which scored fairly welL He. is first baritone player in the Masterton Municipal i>and. His orother is leading cornet player in the same Band. The .winner in the Euphonium Solo Competition, W. Staincs, received bis training in England. Hβ was born in Greenwich, and learned the euphonium at the Royal Naval Sc&ool in that town under SergeantMajor H. Harding, conductor of the.Royal Artillery Band, at Woohrioh. Bandsman Stainee, who. is thirty-two yearn of age, arrived in New Zealand in 1892. He was for three years a member of £»c Dnnedia Garrison Band. » He has been for the past two years a resident of Denniston.

D. Boyd, of North-East Valley, who wa» jnoond. alfo came in for piaise, but tie judge notk-ed a certain lack of charm in comparing him vrith Sfcaims. However, he dejscribed Boyd'e as a fin;* p:-rformaace generaily. R. Esiit.l, Wochton, who wae the highe*t on the lift of unplaced men in tlie Euphonium SolcH, v.xt by Mr Ord Hume as a 23rpfal player, -with a good tone, and fairly good all rourd expression.