THE COMING BAND CONTEST.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1340, 18 January 1912, Page 6

THE COMING BAND CONTEST.

. »- AN INTERVIEW WITH THE JUDGE. IBj TeleEranta.—Soecial CorressondenU Christchurch, January 17. There arrived in Christchurch to-day Mr. Thomas Morgan; who is to act as judge of the band contest, which opens here next week. .Mr. Morgan is a Welshman, a 5 vears of age. Ho has been connected uith music and bands since boyhood. At fourteen he was the principal solo cornetist of his town band, and at ' sixteen he gained the gold modal of the National Eisteddfod of Wales- He is a licentiate of tho Royal Academy of Music, and has been described as one of ,f.hc ablest, though youngest; of band judges. Mr. Morgan is fresh from the Ballarat Baud Contest. Speaking-to a "Press' reporter, Mr. Morgan said that the Australian bands possessed excellent matorial and many capital plavors, but their conception of the music left much to bo desired. In the older selections which they knew well thev did Temarkably well, but in the test selection there were technical difficulties which they did not surmount. Tho test was the same as that chosen for the Christchurch contest—"Liszt." Jt Was arranged'for the Crystal Palace contest, at which the cream of tho English bands competed. At the last moment, however, the selection was withdrawn and another substituted. The New Zealand bands, therefore, were going to attempt something arranged for the cream of English bands, and he could only hope that they would be successful in their interpretation of what ho could only describe as . a delicate lacework of piano structure transcribed for brass instruments. Band music at Home, Mr- Morgan said, lias improved wonderfully of late years. Fifteen years ago there were only two bands winch wero considered great at all. but now there were eight or ten which would have to bo reckoned with anywhere. A new, generation of teachers had come into being, and they rcero proving them- . selves mute equal to anything they were called upon to do in band work. Thev attended the operas at Covent Garden, and the festivals at the big musical centres, and tho result was that great intelligence in interpretation, and a better grasp of technique was secured. 'Mr. Morgan offered a few words of ndvico to New Zealand bands. He said that be had heard that there were many excellent teachers, but that some bands did not encourage their bandmasters to help other bands. This was very different to the practice at Home, where a good man might teach from ten to twenty bands. There was no dog in the manger policv where tho interests of music were concerned. A narrow, jealous view of tho question would prove the curse of band music in Australia and New Zealand, where the services of tho . best teachers should be available for the largest number of bands. , . The parade last evening of tho Petone Senior Cadets was a very orderly affair. There was a large attendance. Tho "fall-in" disclosed a few objectors, some of whom reconsidered their judgments and stepped into the ranks. The Dovor lifeboat made a useless voyage in a severe gale under remarkable circumstances. A steamer in the Channel was observed burning distress signals, and when the lifeboat, after a very trying voyage, came up to the vessel it was found she only required a pilot.