St. Kilda Band Secures Quickstep

Chronicle (Levin), 21 February 1949, Page 2

St. Kilda Band Secures Quickstep

,AUt)KLANl), Feb. % The ^.t. lvilda- jSiunicipal Band agaiji showed.its. supreinaijy by \vinn,uig the miiltary displfcy and quickstep cliann. piojiship: .from tlie ■Wanganui . (iarrispu Band: with the. Auckland Watprsiders ' , SUver. -Band .a close thir(l>. at the eloee •Ojt' ihe Bomuiion eontest .011 Saturday.- , ; 'The' Wellington : Boys ' . -lnstitute Seiiidr Band did well to wiu-' tiie B gra'de section, follow'ed' by tlie Auckland Artillery Band and Lower liutr. Municipal Band. The C grade eontest was won by tlw Masterton Muiiicipal Band by. a wid.: margin from the Gisborne City Band which also had a substautial l'eaci over the Patea Municipal Band wliicli was placed third.

A significant feature or all three contests was that tlie winning bands that exeelled in music, were also the smartest on parade. Aithougli many of the bands were lacking iu some of these essentials of -parade ground drill, they. obviously took. pride . in their appearauce, -particularly :semesc of the 'yobnger conipetitors. ' • •• . ' Two- unfortunate occurrences..fnaiired. the: B gfade (A and B seefcion) display,th'e Ashburton Silver. Band- and Palmerston" Ndi'th Garriso'n Bahd. being virtually put out-" of the competition by missing out one of the1 flags and eliminating several iniportant' movements. Botli were possible winnera of the event, Palmerston Nortli liaviug gained ihost points for music aiid Ashburton being well up in this department. Some of the other bands blamed the use of wliite tiags wdiich would not be seen against the white pickct fences, for the mistakes and maintained that 1 eoloured flags should have been used. An effort was made by . later conipetitors, including tliose in the championghip class, to liave the markers changed. The suggestion was officially dismisse-1 011 the grouuds that the cliange would be unfair to the bands which had a!ready marched _ 011 tlie white markers and tliat- the r^g-uiatibnsvdid not provide for any flags of any particular colour.; At the conclusron of ifhe eontest 31 bands v'chTOpiiiSflBg bandsm^n, tormed up on one side of the grou'pd and in a colourful display, marched. Jin . mass formation across the ground to the, tufle-'of ',wColonel:Bogeyi'Al ' Mr. A. JI. Baile, the, Australian judge at the consto,qd-^ a platform opposite^ the stands and cqnductcd the playing. "Tlie resitlfs of; the contests on Saturday with the judge 's comments, are; —

Championship » • ^ Apai't ^biu"%vo bands who were ilot' ^4go(kl,^^|o# of the "B grade, the marching iu ^is grade was very good, according to the judges. The dressing of the bands 011 the march was a prominent fault aiul nearly all failedjto perforni the wheel properly. All bands lost points for ' not kceping propor interval and observing correct dis tances. \ The plaving of the bands was bettei thau he expected, said Mr. Baile. They had ijnprovcd inuneasurably since Jie was here 15 years ago and he expressed the hope that thev would continue to progress. Plaeings: St. Kilda Munici palBaud, 323 i points, 1; Wanganui Garrisou Band, '12 U points, 2; Auckland Watersiders ' Silver Band, o20 |>oints, •■>. B Grade (A and B Section) The marching in thh B grade was vexy..good but- some of the bands made mistakes th rough the drum-majors not knowing the proper sequence of drill. Some of the military- ; judges said the appearauce of , these bauds. on inspeo tion, sliowred rooin for improvemeiK, points being lost for oiuissions tliat could .have been easily. rectifled. Sqme of the bandsmeh needed "their hair cut and most did not know' the proper position at at ten tion. Plaeings: Wellington Boys' lnstitute Senior Band, 2881 points, 1; Auckland Artillery Band, 2S7| points, 2j Lower Hutt Municipal Band, 279J points, 3. C Grade The turnout of tlie bands was of rather a low standard although there was 110 lack of enthusiasm, the judges commented. However, the marching generall-v was good for bauds of this class. Points were lost for not taking a full pace at the march olf and incorrect dressing. Tlie drum-majors wero very good,, iu tlie' martialliug of the bands and tlie judges reniarked 011 the stead.v marching of the Te Ararana Girls' SilY.er Band and promise shown by tlie Ponsonby Boys' Brass Band. Plaeings; Masterton Municipal Band, 2701 points, L; Gisborne City Ba.nd, 202 points, 2; Patea MunicipaL Band, 256 points, 3.

Trophies were awarded as follow: Championship Challenge Sliield (A scc-i tion), Wellington Boys' lnstitute Senior Band; Challenge Cup (B section), Hamilton Citizens M3aiid; B. Williamson Memorial Challenge Shiel'l (A sectiou), Wellington Boys' lnstitute Senior Band; Challenge Cup (B section), Hamilton Citizens' Band; J. R. Williamson Memorial and Challenge Sliield (A and B sectious). Wellington Bovs' lnstitute -Senior Band; E. W. Rose Memoiual Challenge Sliield (C section), Masterton Municipal Band.