THE CENTENNIAL

Evening Star, Issue 23370, 13 September 1939, Page 15

THE CENTENNIAL

NG ABRIDGMENT OF PROGRAMME NATIONAL COUNCIL’S DECISION [lT.it Untied f’avss Association.] WELLINGTON, September 12. At a special meeting ot the National Centennial Council to-day the chairman (Mr Parry) urged that the full celebration of the centennial throughout the Dominion would he holpini during time of war The meeting expressed agreement with the■ tiovenimeiu’s desire that with such modifications only as the necessities of war demanded the centennial should be fittingly and adequately celebrated, and urged all centennial organisations to carry on with their plans. In view of tlie difficulties created by tile outbreak of war it was decided that the date of receipt of applicatinns for the approval of the National Centennial Council of centennial projects be extended from September 30, 191)9. to October 31, 1939. A large number of memorial proposals were approved. WELSH GUARDS NDT COMING USE OF BEST DOMINION BANDS The 'Welsh Guards band will not now bo coming to play at the Centennial Exhibition. The general manager of the Exhibition (Mr C. P. Hainsworth) said to-day that information to this effect had been received by cablegram from London. As soon as war was declared it was considered highly improbable that the Guards would be permitted to visit New Zealand. None, the less, it is a great disappointment to the Exhibition management., A meeting of the Music Committee has been convened to consider a suitable alternative. It is considered that the next best thing is to encourage local talent, and to seek some method by which the best available New Zealand bands will be able to take part in the Exhibition. The scheme that will probably be adopted, therefore, will be that the best bands throughout the Dominion will be invited to play at the Exhibition at various times and on special occasions. A number of outstanding bands are to be approached. “ It will he a valuable encouragement to band music in New Zealand both financially and from a cultural point of view,” said Mr Hainsworth, commenting on the idea. “As this is a national undertaking, we felt that the public would sympathise with the difficulty with which we are confronted and that the best thing to do would be to share the work among the leading New Zealand bands.”