The Band Contest

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 119, 31 March 1891, Page 2

The Band Contest

This interesting event was extended over two nights, Friday and Saturday, and excited a good deal of attention not only in Peilding, but in other parts of the colony where similar trials of musical strength have been held. The contestants were— The Wellington Garrison Band, Gray's Private Band, the Peilding, Marton and Palmerston Brass Bands. Jinkin's (of Wellington), Woodville and Wanganui bands also entered but were unable to attend. On Saturday evening after each band had played a selection from Donezetti's opera " Linda di Chamouni," the judge, Mr Macintosh, gave his awards, which were are follows :— Wellington Garrison Band, 78 points ; Gray's Band (Wellington), 73 points \ Feilding Brass Band, 66 points; Marton Royal Rifles' Brass Band, 56 points ; Palmerston Brass Band, 50 points. The Garrison Band gained on their own selection, played on the first night, while in the test piece (Linda di Chamouni) Gray's band got the largest number of points, the Garrison and Feildmg Bands making a tie for second place. Dr Charlton acted as supervisor. .£SO were given in prizes and paidjin fall ; Ist prize, .£80 ; 2nd, £15 ; 3rd, £5. Although Feilding only secured third place, there cannot be any cavil at the opinion that they deserve the highest praise for securing sitch an honorable position. As compared with other bands, with the exception of the Palmerston Baud, which is the youngest of all, the and Feilding Band is quite young, in fact, Until the proposal to hold li contest was mooted, we doubt if they had ever before made any very determined efforts to overcome the difficulties presented by high class music to young performers. It must also be remembered that the Wellington bands are selected from a population of nearly thirty thousand, while the country bands cannot claim to select from as many fifties. To Mr E. F. Haybittlej the able' conductor oi the Feilding Band, is undoubtedly clue the greatest honor. He originated the idea, and his efforts, ably assisted as he was by the other members of the band, under Bandmaster Mr Samuel Daw (the fonndei and real backbone of the band) largely contributed to the success of the contest. We are gkd to know that in an unostentatious way many of the residentsof the Borough eonfc-ibuted mVr ally towards the inevitable expense, bni we noticed on the nights when there was a small charge made to the public for admission to the Assembly Room, quite ;i largo number of people enjoyed the music [outside "free, gratis, and' for nothing" when they must have known perfectly well that these contests cannot be carriei'i on without a plentiful supply of the " sinews of war" — money, VVe are informed that this sort of thing is not common to Feilding alone, but is to be seen in Wellington, still we have a right to expect better things from the most pvosperous district ia the estlpHy.