BANDS DISQUALIFIED

Chronicle (Levin), 25 February 1947, Page 7

BANDS DISQUALIFIED

-Press Association

^ • Mild Sensation at Dominion Contest

By TelegrapJv—

WANGANUI, Feb. 24. D. Ghristensen (Woolston Brass Band) was awarded the possible points (50) and won the New Zealand B flai cornet competition for amateurS'at the New Zealand Brass Band contest to day. The adjudicator, Mr. Hugh Niven, of Melbourne, described tlie win ner's playing of 1 ' Silver Threads Among tlie Gold" as a very iine rendition. Other placings were: Keith Caldwell (Hawera Munieipal) 49 points second, K. Smith (Westport Munieipal) IS points third, and N. 1. Goffin (^Vools ton Brass) 47 points fourth. Thefe were three ties for flf th place — W . R. Francis (Palmerston City), I Bassett (Kaikorai) and L. A. Francis (St. Kilda) each with 46 points. There were more than 70 entries.Four Bands Disqualified Considerable controversy is likely to develop in the New Zealand Brass Bands' Association regarding the ques (ion of what is a hymn.* Four bands were disqualified yesterday when tKe hymn test was decided beeause they had either not played a recogniscd hymn or had not noted on the judge's score the source from which the hymn had been ehosen. Mr. E. W. F. Gohns, chairman of the loea'l contest connnittee, in'a statement to the .press said that the disqualilica tion was made by the management com rnittee of the New Zealand Brass Bands' Association. Four bands, he said, had failed to carry out the instrtic--tions sent them by the circular month: ago. The bands disqualified were Auckland Waterside Junior, Palmerston North Garrison, Taranaki Kegimentai and New Plymouth Munieipal (Coinbined) and Westport Munieipal. Mr. Gladstone Hill,. connuenting on the disqualilication and defming whai he regards as a hymn, says that tln' worst feature of the disqualification was the fact that the bands all'ected goi no points awarded and rcccivcd nu judge's comment. Ile felt sure tln judge, who would have nothing to (h with the disqualilication, would allof points, and he was of the opinion tha' as a matter of right, those points shoulu be made available to the particular hinds concerned. He stated that thc matter was particularly important inso

far as the Auckland Waterside Boys Band was concerned., They would suffe. by an ohiission on the part of an official of the band. _ The boys played well, their rendition being ffeverent and artistic. The matter is to come before thv annual meeting of thc association on Friday when it is anticipated there will be some very pointed criticisin at tlnout right disqualilication of bands fov what may be found to be a teehnica! omission. The concensus of opinion among the leading bands is that such an omission should b'6 penalised by reducing points father than by 'disqualifi cation. A Correction Kaikorai Band (Dunedin) with 45 points came equal fourth with Palmerston North Citv in the hymn test. Kaikorai was omitted from the list telegraphed yesterday. — B Grade Test. The first B gradfe test selectioh was played tonight, fourtben bands competing. In aecord with contest rules, the judge, Mr. Hugh Niven, of Melbourne aunounced the top three bands not necessarily in order of merit. The second test will be played on Wednesday night after. which the aggregate points in both tests will be aunounced. The bands placed at the top tonight are Auckland Watersiders Silver, Nelson Garrison and Palmerston North City. The piece played was "Echoss of Schub^rt" arranged by George Hawkins.