BANDSMEN’S NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8361, 22 February 1913, Page 10

BANDSMEN’S NOTES.

By Magenta. .According to the Auckland ''Star ’ the famous Grenadiers’ Guards’ Band is [likely to visit New Zealand, and wilt' (give a series of performances at the’ [Auckland Exhibition. This will he wel-' come news to New Zealand bandsmen, 1 and there is no doubt that the visit wilt be very popular throughout the country. “Torchbearer” writes r —Band matters are starting to look up in Waihi now;During the strike, owing to toss of membership. also to dissension amongst its! ranks, the trustees of the Federal Band-' were reluctantly compelled to call iu the intruments, and the band was prac-" tically disbanded. At the conclusion of the turmoil the band was tod now it has been going again, with :a large inf union of strangers araongj them. Bandsman Fred Lawn has been, appointed bandmaster for the time be-' ,ing. and lie seems to be shaping very welt jin that positibn. As an instance of thej ■influx of strangers to' 'Waihi, no less’ three new bandsmen arrived in omf day during the week from the Old Country—all from contesting bands, too —comprising a cornetist, a trombone player and a euphonium player. The? band is going to make a big eflort faf retain the Besson Shield at the forth-; coming Exhibition contest; and they are' going to consider, immediately, ways and! means to get a new set of instruments! for the occasion, 1 Home news announces the death' ofl Mr Thomas Eimmer, England’s oldest! bandmaster and father of Mr W. Kim--mar, the well-known composer and ar-' ranger. The deceased gentleman was im his eightieth year. ILa had been- con--nected with bands for sixty years, "Eupho.,” Invercargill, -writes as fob [lows in the band column of the South'd [land “Times": "Mr A. F. Lithgow, an j lold Invercargill bandsman, arrived in (town , on Monday for a short holiday, .Mr Lithgow wild not be very well known, by our present-day bandsmen, but by the , older members of the bands ana ex-* bandsmen of fifteen or twenty years ogoj Mr Lithgow is as well-known os the prod verbial household word. In those oayrj he was known to the New Zealand band, fraternity as ’bell bird,’ a name which [was given him on account of the sweet kinging tone he produced in his playing,' [At the Dunedin Exhibition contest Ini (1890 Mr Lithgow Von the cornet solo,; 'playing the ‘Dream of Love,’ ■ and at' Christchurch in XBS3 he again was successful, playing on this occasion Hartd man’s beautiful solo, ‘Fatherland,’ andi /although 1 have heard some very finei performances, of this solo since, I douhtl if X have beard- anything to excel Mr Lithgow’s rendering on that occasion." The 12th Eegmtehtal Hand (Nelson) have just received a magnificent set of Besson’s class "A" plated and engraved instruments. The band is to be congratulated on obtaining such a splendid set. and no doubt it .will give a good account of itself in the contest AshL If a good set of instruments will help, the Nelson boys should be about tk* top of the list of contestants. During a certain, band’s tour of' a country district it is reported that an. inquiry, or rather a court martial, was rendered necessary owing to a bandsman's shakedown being . spirited any. Seated on his solo i netrumeut—the drum , —the judge heard the complainant's evidence at great length. He, the complainant, had been informed that such an inquiry “was always held by this band in such circumstances." He was required to lodge IQs as forfeit money in case . his complaint was frivolous, and now threatens to resign because the IQs was promptly voted for refreshments! “How like a ■bandl" as the Duchess of Hlaza-Toro ■would, say. ; The Taihape Municipal Band has made |up its mind that new instruments axe {necessary, and a bazaar tod art union has been arranged. The function will open on the 25th inst. and run to the first of next month, and all sorts of tempting prizes are being offered- The Taihape Band has had a lot of apathy (to put up with; in the past the Maoris [were the most ardent admirers of the ;band’s efforts, and it is up to the borough to, give the organisation a "leg up" now. - The annual brass band oompefitadmr held under the auspices of the Band Association of New South Wales opened in Sydney on January 28th, at the Sports Ground. The evening was allotted to the C Grade, for which four bands entered. These were Bookwood (conductor, G. Wynne), Campsie. (conductor, T- A, Long), Western Suburbs (conductor, C. ■F. Bowles)* and Lyceum (conductor, J. J. Gilmour). The adjudicator, Mr H- E. Eerry, late of the Besses o' th’ Bam Band, awarded first place to the Bookwood players (65 points); Campsie, second. (58 points); Lyceum, third (57 poinhe); and Western Suburbs, fourth (55 points)As is usual bn the first night of the. contests the attendance of the public was Hot very large, but the playing of the varibus bands was enthusiastically followed. The results of the A and B Ginde contests will be dealt with later. Mr S. Walling, a clever trombonist, formerly a member of the Ptetune Municipal Band (also an ex-pupil of Lieut, T. Herd), is now playing for the EozfiHa (N.S.W.) band.. H© won the trombone wlo competition at the recent contest of. the Band Association of New South 1 Vales, which was held in Sydney- Associated with him in th© Eozello Band is E. Grant, who is playing soprano cornet, and who won the event in this class at the contest- Grant was a member of the Newcastle City Band when it. wimted Christchurch! to take part In the Exhibition contest in 19U7-