A GRADE BANDS

Evening Star, Issue 19797, 22 February 1928, Page 8

A GRADE BANDS

Result of First Test Queen Alexandra’s Own Placed First Kaikorai Third [Special to shb ‘Stab.’] CHRISTCHURCH, February 21 With the A Grade bands con tasting the dominion championship, the band contest entered on its most important phase this evening. There was an audience of close on 4,000, which was treated to some really great performances. Seven bands faced tho judge (Mr E. Jackson). No points were announced at the conclusion of the evening’s performances, but the judge announced the placing of the bauds as follows : Queen Alexandra's Own (Wanganui). Wools ton. Kaikorai. Grevraouth Municipal. Wellington Tramways. Christchurch Municipal. St. Kilda. The leading bands were very closely placed, said the judge, and the championship was still anybody’s race. Following is the order in which the bands played, with comments on tho performances:—

King Edward Barracks was filled last evening with an audience approaching 4,000. The attraction was the first A Grade Test for the Band Championship of New Zealand. It was in all respects one of the most successful and entertabling evenings over experienced in the history of the annual contests. Seven hands took part, and they were the elite of the contesting hands of t ic dominion. The selection was the hlghtly-romaiitic and dramatic symphonic suite, ‘ Scheherazade,’ in four parts, by the gifted Russian master Rimsky-Korsakov. The selection was arranged hy the British hand expert, J. Ord Hume, who came to New Zealand twenty-five years ago to judge the North Island Bands Association s contest at Masterton. The first two parts of the .work were played last evening, and, entrancing, romantic, and beautiful as they were, it is considered that greater musical treasures are to be heard in the second portion of the suite, to .bo played on Friday evening. The pluviti'j; Ifist must hn\c boon a. revelation to musical critics. That it was inspiring was evidenced m the rapturous applause and enthusiasm displayed by the vast concourse of delighted listeners. The competition of last evening carried a special prize list. ]n announcing his decision, Air J‘j. Jackson, tho Australian adjudicator, said that no points would be disclosed til] Friday night, nor was lie permitted to say anything beyond mentioning that the leaders were very close, and it would be anvone’s contest. Be had to indicate that the fourth placed hand (Greymouth) had lost some ground by not using mutes in the part calling foi their use. He was more than pleased with the splendid playing lie had heard. Tlie announcement of tho award ot merit on the first test was received with enthusiasm, it being generally realised that Queen Alexandra’s Own bad put up a wonderful performance, and that Woolston, Kaikorai. and Greymouth fell very little short of annexing the chief honors.

ST. KILDA (Jas. Dixon)

QUEEN ALEXANDRA’S OWN tCaptain G. Buckley).

WOOLSTON (R. J. Estall, conductor)

Tho unison opening leading into the first picture of the symphonic suite, the dramatic music depicting “ the sea, and the vessel of Sinbad.” ivas finely delivered, although the intonation wavered slightly into the trying piano bars leading'into the real sea movement. This opened in tranquil mood, with a nice singing horn part, subsequently roinforcod with trills by tho cornets, all prettily depicted. The, solo cornet’s dainty call-like part, depicted by the oboe in the orchestral works, was a crystal gem, but it was followed by others, including the wonderful embellishments by tho soprano, all clearcut and ringing above the lull band work. Soon the band entered the unsettled waters, and the marvels of the Rimsky-Korsnkov imagination were revealed. Wild movements were entered on, and tho great basses depicted rolling billows and huge sea crashes with marvellous effect. The weird beauties o' this part cannot be described. It was grandly played. So the movement was carried to the close in a tornado of storm, from which Sinbad emerged to continue the stories wo know. The second movement, the depiction of “ the narrative of calendar, the King’s son, was attacked with life and vigor. A wonderful movement, it proved, with the cornet effects, the flashes of tho trombones, and brilliant cornet interludes, and the occasional electrical chords of the full band, the rolling basses, and sweet-toned horns, with tho euphonium always in the picture, all reaching a climax of intensity seldom heard on the platform. It wa* a great performance

WELLINGTON MUNICIPAL TRAM WAY. (T. UoodalO.

This band attacked the unison opening in perlect accord, but suffered also in tune in the long pause notes leading to the sea movement. Here a chaste cornet was heard, whose trills stood out clear and brilliant. The horns were not heard to quite such advantage, and the soprano had a slight lapse in his hrst entry, ad failed a little later. He was flat and lost tone in the upper register. Nevertheless, the spirit of tho work, the roll and toss of old ocean, wore finely done, one's mind picturing all manner of weird sea dreams. Tbo "•eneral standard of play was good, marred a little bv the soprano lapses in.the entry to tho second movement, “the narrative.” The hero entry, as it may be called, by tho soprano was weak the instrumentalist appearing to have difficulty in reaching the upper register. There war, an absence of the more passionate order in this movo jnent, and the, spirit of care-free, swaggering abandon also was hazy in the midst of the Rimsky-Tvorsakov picture, but the band work was all very enter taining. It see mod to fall a little short of exciting the electrical atmosphere leading to the crash of the final bars

GREYMOUTH MUNJCII’.AL (A. M'Masters).

CHRISTCHURCH MUNICIPAL (A. Schnack).

A good unison opening, and the long Uauses following were fairly well managed. “The sea and vessel of Sinbad was entered sparkingly by a prettytoned cornetist, and the horns, trombones, and other sections were all heard in clear, dovetailing of detail, while the surge of the sea, the cry of the elements, and the screech (represented in imaginative form by the high cornet trills) were all finely portrayed. The soprano, was heard in much telling work; the band ensemble was deep and sonorous in tho heavy parts, and the choral masses were electrical. The iru; aginative picture of the sea 'and Sinbad were certainly well delivered. The “ narrative ” was performed in characteristic vein. The call entry by the so-

prano was a little shaky, but these instrumentalists may well be excused on account of the extreme range and inordinate difficulties. The solo cornet, following, was rich in coloring, and all went well, though tho great electrical crashes heard in the first band were not quite so effective. However, the performance was excellent, evidencing marked progress since the present conductor took charge.

Well opened, and tho pause notes were commcndably in time. The cornet entry into the sea movement was exexpressivc, bub the subsequent horn passage fell below standard for a few bars, soon to bo rectified when the elements cimo surging along threatening to engulf Sinhacl and all his associates. Here, in calmer mood, tho soprano was very appealing, as was the horn and all tho other instruments. Anon, the sea, was heard in the roiling and deepthroated tones of the basses, augmented hy tho trombones in tho chord crashes finishing off a line imaginative picture of the sea. Tho soprano entered finely in the “ narrative,” and the following part for the euphonium was well portrayed, while the episodes leading to dramatic climaxes were of fiery order* great brass effects being produced. Tile muted cornets were quaint, and tho wild moments of the movement were a riot of sound. The band excelled in whatever the character of the romance it had to portray. Thenj were a few weak spots, but nothing o< any serious moment, and tho selection ended in a blaze of color and musical glory—a great performance.

The opening unison by the present champion band of tho dominion was big in tone and true to pitch, with the long pause notes, pianissimo, very well managed. Tho cornet entry with the sea movement was very fine, tho tone being chaste, while the band support was remarkable, all parts moving with precision and in perfect accord. The soprano was a great feature, and the rise of the elements depicted in the crescendoes reaching great climaxes, were electrical in effect, a wonderful tale being told musically. The thrills of, tho cornets above the raging band were a triumph of band workmanship—truly a great rendering, of wondrous clarity. The “narrative” was finely entered by tho soprano, who, however, had a slight miss-hit in closing the call. The muted portion of the movement, with trombones prominently in action, and the band rising in great rolling volumes of intense musical sound, was a wonderful piece of band work. The dramatic mood became intense, too, ami tho power increased to dimensions hardly realisable for a brass band without crashing badly, which in no sense was threatened —a great ending to a wonderful piece of band work. KAIKORAI (E. Franklin).

'The opening was good, but a slight lapse of ouc instrument in tho long pause notes created a.jar. The entry to the sea movement was all that could bo desired, the cornet work being pretty. The soprano trills were a feature here, and t]ie horn and other instruments all did good work. Soprano proved a gem of sparkling order. In the big parts, suggesting tho angry sea, the conductor and his men painted a wondrous picture. The tranquil ending of the 'movement was in perfect time. The “ narrative ” was prettily opened by the soprano, followed by good work by the euphonium. Jn this movement the lyric side of tho tale was appealingly described by a very dainty cornctist. All the parts went well, ana the big episodes were built up with rare power. The muted cornets were effective, trombones and euphoniums, baritones, and others revelling in a maelstrom of sound which whirled tho imagination along into the vortex, the end coming in a huge and overwhelming rush of sound. Another fino rendering!

Tho Coasters opened with a big unison, as firmly delivered as by any preceding band. The long piano pause notes were a little severe, but went well. The solo cornet made a beautiful entry into the wonderful sea music, where the pictures of the imagination were vividly visualised by the expressive, and in parts almost inspired, playing of the dramatic music. Telling work was put in by the soprano, tho difficult high register notes ringing out clear above the big band ensemble. It was noticeable that tho surge of tho waves became great at times, for the tone of the Coasters was probably bigger than that of any other band in this movement. The closing chord of the sea story was beautifully in tune. The soprano made a. fine entry info the “ narrative,” probably the best of the evening, and the following euphonium and cornet solos were most entertaining. The emphasis crashes were great, and the crescendoes in the dramatic portions were carried to rare heights. No mutes were heard in the movement, causing some little loss of effect by comparison with the other six bands. A grand finish, and a performance of great credit to the Coast.