THE ARTILLERY BAND.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1978, 7 February 1914, Page 6

THE ARTILLERY BAND.

OPENING CONCEPT, It was. not quite a crowded audience winch welcomed back the Itova'l Artillery Band in tlie> Town Hall last night. -Clio weather promised to be unpleasant at the tifiie, when people would, under 'ordinary circumstances,' have been leav- ; uig their homes., and perhaps soino few oj the less venturous, having lively resold fcctioiis of /tho baud's last visit, -when there was suqh a crowd clamouring for admittance that same- had difficulty in finding seats, reftaiiicd 'from risking a similar experience again. In oilier respects.,- lio'ivover, the re- ■ toptidit given .to the bijnd was a goad one. It is a. wonderful baiid, as Wellington peopio already know. Such ' perfect precision as they never..,fail to acbieyo. miijt.jio .fare in., jbrclie'str.al <"" Band music- ' iiiVaiiy phrt of. tlio'world. a»d alnjost unkiiown here., Ibe- band is as comp.letojy under tho' eontrdl of the, conductor, Mr. ti. 0. ■Strctt<m,. ! <iuiia as if it were .some very lino.instrument played by a master. , And yet' bo leaves nothing to chance, indicating as ■ho does every lead,, and otherwise controlling by suitable gesture, without any of th.o grotesque paiitomimd that so-rao conductors ajjpeat to consider indispensable.. Cine can but -dimly imag- ■ hip the glory of this band, .playing at the Exhibition in the Auckland Domain its the still air of a summer evening. Long wjU tlio.se who lieard it remember the playing of •'William Tell," tho overture of Bossini's greatest 'work, The music tej'lss or suggests tins .secrets of the silent hills, -the -stillness rent by thunderclap and Storm, and then follows tho 'movement so well known and florrtdaf—perhaps the best 'known add most delightful pf all pastorals. tho Peace is disturbed by the call to arms, tho train.]) of marching feet, a-ud then there is. the tri'ufiipjtant brilliant. Sirajtei Last night trio audience were'held spellbound, and thei-o could bo no doubt about the sincerity of the burst of applause which, followed tlio playing of this remarkable work. Tho piece -vvhidi the ' audience .placed next iii order of merit was that glorious. Wagner .music, the u-'nalo of the. "Rlu-negpl'd," which., describes the entry of the gods into Valhallai It is a them© big enough for the most superb, music, and the effects in it, bizarre and splendid, are made by this baftd .as W-aghfe'r ■must hayo dreamt ttai. Their ■of it was simply magnificent. In. aliother pieso of Wagner musie, tho •march, from "Rw.llz.il," oho jof tl.ip- 'composer's earlier and more conventional works, their performance -was equally, good', but the effect on tho audience, was feiss marked. Tho overture to Beethoven's "lsgpioiit". was. played with fire* and IjrwJaniKj,.. but tliero arc effects in this music which can' be made better, with strings tli.aii with woqd-wfnd instrM* meats. Three dainty pastorals by_ lior- . bcrt Homes were plajcd in fasliion to gifo perfectly the picture of e.lyes in woodland glades, ihe 'charm of these lighter geuis was exquisite,., 'and in answer to a demand for mo.ro th.o band played tlte "'ftarcarole,'' now so familiar and still such a, favourite,' A ■selection, from the opera, "I Pa:g!iaeci" (Jioonc.a<valid), and a transcription for a 'niilitary. band froni 'Weingartftev's ftrranfiefficn-fc of Weber's "Invitation a la Yalso" tvero the otjior two items lor the- full baud, excepting, of course, tlio "tßoyal- Artillery March." with which "the -baud cqivclud'cs alt its programmes. As appears, tram -tlio selee-tioji, the p.rdgramino. was varied, satisfying all tastes.) aiitj showed; the remarkable versatility of the band. Pol-M-M dramatic music, beautiful exotic music, and oteaut or quaint pastorals wore all played with ,tho same, superb grace or vigour aceording to tho character of tho Vork. Corporal E. Reynolds piayed a piccolo solo, tho only solo <mi tho programme, with an accompaniment by the band. It was : a .faultless performance, and lie had to .respond to aa encore*