20 pipe bands for Methven

Press, 13 February 1986, Page 4

20 pipe bands for Methven

Ashburton reporter Methven’s earlymorning peace will be shattered on Sunday as 20 pipe bands, start tuning up for the Canterbury Provincial Pipe Band Contest. A record 20 bands will compete. The Canterbury contest is an open event, and has attracted entries from Richmond (Nelson) to Dunedin. Bands from Rangiora, Christchurch, Ellesmere, Temuka, Timaru, Oamaru, and Waimate will travel to Methven early on Sunday morning to be ready for the street march at 8.45 a.m. Led by the Ashburton Silver Band, the march will begin at McDonald Street, moving up the main road into Bank Street. From there the bands will march to the Methven showgrounds for the medley and test events and marching dis-

plays. This is followed by mace flourishing and the massed bands. The contest will be the first In Canterbury run under the new format Bands no longer have a compulsory quickstep event, but a marching display is compulsory for grades one, two, and three and optional for grade four. The large number of entries has created a tight schedule for organisers. The Ashburton County Highland Pipe Band will not compete as it is “breaking in” new members.

Most of the bands at the Canterbury centre championships, including Methven, will travel to Wellington in two weeks to take part in the New Zealand championships. Sunday’s competition is regarded as a last chance to reach the standards needed for good results at the national contest.