Grey Municipal Band’s Entry for N.Z. Contest at Auckland

Grey River Argus, 24 November 1948, Page 2

Grey Municipal Band’s Entry for N.Z. Contest at Auckland

Saturday’s Gala to Raise Funds Greymouth people will be looking forward to the Dominion band contest in February next at Auckland, at which the Greymouth Municipal Band will be a competitor, with the prospect of putting up a very good performance. On Saturday rhe band holds a fete at McGinley Pai»k, with the object of raising funds to enable it to take part in the contest. Apart from the worthy object, the public may be certain that they will be well entertained, for there will be marching displays, a programme by .the band, and very interesting sideshows, as well as stalls carrying ■ stocks of very desirable goods. The band has been notably improving since its last appearance at a contest, when it created a very good impression at Dunedin, making many friends, and drawing from the president of the N.Z. Bands’ Association, Mr P. Skoglund, a public tribute for its creditable showing, spotless instruments and uniforms, and its admirable behaviour, the president saying that the band’s showing made him proud himself to be a West Coaster. - The band is at present comprised of men from Greymouth and the surrounding districts of Runanga, Brunner, Boddytown, Cobden and Blaketown. They are all young, and in Mr Lionel Hall, they have a young and able conductor. Provided they receive the encouragement and support of the people of the town and surrounding districts, which they certainly deserve, there is no reason why they should not distinguish themselves in Auckland both collectively and individually. The Dunedin contest, early this year, which was the band’s first since 1936, saw them gain places in both the Aggregate and the Hymn Test; whilst in years gone by the band showed that it could reach a standard as high as any in the country. In 192-1 at Christchurch, under the conductorship of Mr A. McMasters, the band won the B Grade Test; and in 1925 at Auckland won the Quickstep. The following year at Dunedin it won the B Grade Test and also the Exhibition Shield for brass bands, which is among the proudest possessions at the Band Hall. In 1927 at Wellington, the band won the Hymn Test, and was fourth in the Aggregate. The next year, at Christchurch, it came third in the Aggregate, and in 1929 at Wanganui gained second place in the Hymn Test. Then followed a gap of five years durin ~ which the band was almost dormant, but in 19.35 at Timaru, under Mr L. Francis, it won the B Grade Championship and gained third place in the Hymn Test. The following year at New Plymouth the band won the B Grade Championship, and was second in the Hymn Test. After a period then, in which little success was attained. and the war obliged many members to go overseas, the band began once again to revive, and this year saw a change which promises in the coming year to witness a fresh rise to eminence. There have been some fine players in the band over the years—men who have been offered better opportunities elsewhere. Among these were Johnny Robertson, a famous cornet player now in Australia; Bill Stevenson, also a noted cornet player, and now a member of the New Zealand Council; and Leo Carruthers, a fine trombone player who at present is conducting the” Woolston Band. These bandsmen’s records demonstrate the members’ possibilities, and the bandsmen couni upon patrons making Saturday’s gala such a success as to reward their ambition of making the band again one of the best known in the Dominion. If accorded the help, financially and morally, that are within the capacity of this community as a whole, they aim to rank alongside such prominent combinations as the Woolston Brass, Wanganui Garrison and Wellington Watersiders’ Bands. A good rally of the townspeople on Saturday is therefore to be confidently expected.