BANDS CONTEST

Evening Star, Issue 19802, 28 February 1928, Page 6

BANDS CONTEST

KAIKORAI'S BAD LUCK UN QUICKSTEP

The members of the Kaikorai Hand who returned to Dunedin after competing at Christchurch in the Now Zealand championship have nothing but praise for those who were responsible for the running of the contests. _ The judge took groat pains with his work, the people of Christchurch were most hospitable, and from every point of view the meeting was thoroughly enjoyed by those who participated in the various events. .The people of Dunedin, however, have been wondering why the Kaikorai Band camo so low in the quickstep competition, and the band feels that it owes some explanation. The fact is that the Kaikorai players failed because of a most unfortunate mistake on the part of the drum-major. From a position standing at attention the band had in the first place to march 100, yds (120 paces) in OOsec, tlm drummajor leading. Before the men stopped off they were to receive the order “Heady,” which prepared them for the step off and gave thojn time to adjust their instruments. When Kaikorai’s turn came the band’s drum-major, by an unhappy slip of the memory which subsequently aroused his comrades’ sympathy, omitted the order “ Ready,” and went straight on to the command “Quick March.” Naturally the players were for a time confused, the bandsmen with heavy instruments finding it difficult to prepare th«r pieces, and, in spite of the fact that Kaikorai lost only one point for time and pacing, its music was all wrong. But for t!»is slip it is considered that tlto band would have been much higher up in the list.