BAND CONCERT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4821, 11 March 1925, Page 2

BAND CONCERT.

FRIDAY NIGH'J'S ARRANGEMENT.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACTION.

On Friday evening next it Is confident!} anticipated that owing to tne first day’s racing of the Ohinemuri Jockey Club’s annual meeting being held next day, a large number nf visitors will,be about the'streets of Paeroa. ' With the laudable desire of making the. town as attractive as possible on that occasion, and to improve its prestige in the eyes of outsiders, the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce has arranged, with the consent of lieut.Colonel Gambrill, officer commanding the regiment, for the Hauraki Regimental Band to vipit Paeroa and give a two hours’ programme of music, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the band rotunda in the main street. Possibly residents are not aware that tnis band, although quartered at Thames, belongs to this regimental district, and is on the strength of A Company. Hauraki Regiment, to which company the local Territorials also belong.

A brief history of the band will n<> doubt be of interest to readers in view of its pending visit to Paeroa. The set of. (silver instruments on which the bandsmen play were bought during the war out of canteen funds by the second battalion, Auckland Regiment, and were used by the band pf this battalion in France. When the Auckland battalion of the N.Z. Expeditionary Force was demobilised on return, to New Zealand the instruments were handed over to the present Hauraki Regimental Band at Thames.

In-connection with the various competitions won by the band under the condnetorship of Hon. Lieut. A. Clarke it is worthy of mention that it won the B Grade test .selection, entitled “Mignon,” at the New Zealand Band Contest held at Palmerston North last year. Also, in the selection piece, the band obtained the highest aggregate marks for music. In the quick-step competition this baud was placed second, but was awarded first honours for music in that competition. As a grand fimile at the contest the baud won the Boosey Shield, for the greatest number of points, against all bands in the competitions.

The full 'playing strength of the band is to “be brought to Paeroa nc Friday .evening, so the residents of Paeroa, as well as visitoqs to the town, will receive an opportunity of hearing not only their own regimental band, but a band that has made itself famous on the battlefields of France and in England, as well as in New Zealand.

To add a carnival air to the evening’s enjoyment arrangements have been made to decorate the band rotunda with coloured electric lights.

• To meet the cost of conveying the band from Thames the Chamber of Commerce is inviting local business people to give donations, and subscription lists for that purpose have been opened. It is to be hoped that the efforts of the chamber to improve the town and provide an evening’s pleasure will be loyally backed up by the retailers and public, and that - the subscription lists will receive liberal attention. The services of the band are being given gratuitously, but subscriptions and a' collection will be taken up to defray the travelling expenses .of the band and other charges incidental to the undertaking. It is hoped that the country folk of the distrite will, take this opportunity of visiting Paeroa and joining with the town residents in the enjoyment of the band concert.