“LAUREL WREATH”

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 434, 15 May 1937, Page 4

“LAUREL WREATH”

CAIRNS BANDS Performances At The . Queensland Championship Newspaper reports from Northern Queensland refer In terms of high praise to the unqualified success of the Cairns Citlzent’ (51st Band, which won the A championship, and to Hie Cairns Combined Boys’ Band, which won the boys’ band street march, the boys’ platform march, and the boys’ band: waltz, at the Easter band contest in Brisbane. It was featured In the heading; as "A Laurel Wrea'h for Cairns.” The people of Stratford and Taranaki have most pleasant recollections of the visit of the Cairns Band at the beginning of last year, when the band won ahe New Zealand championship at the Dominion contest at New Plymouth. On their way home tlhe band won the New South Wales championship and now has added fresh honours to the musical achievements of the past. It is estimated that 50,000 people witnessed 46 bands in the quickstep in Queen Street, Brisbane, when the adjudicators were placed on balconies along the route of the march. The Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Wilson, offered his congratulations to both the Cairns bands, and stated: that it really gave him great pleasure to present the first prize in he Queensland championship .to tho Cairns Band and the prizes to the Boys’ Band. He warmly congratulated Warrant Officer J. Compton (conductor), Mr J, B. Denovan (boya* bandmaster), and every member of the bands. Dr. S'ephcn Yorke, the well-known British musical adjudicator, at the conclusion of the contest, said: "I can honestly gay that the performance of the Cairns Citizens’ Band was the finest I have ever heard, and I 'think it will be some years before I hear the like again.” At the . request of the Governor, Mr .Compton stepped on to the, stage to receive His Excellency’s personal congratulations. .The win over such formidable opponents as the Hawthorne Band, which had been unbeaten for three .years and had' been champions of Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, was outstanding. In addition to the band’s success, several members were in the winning list in the instrumental competitions. The soprano cornet player, Mr No - man Henstridge, scored two fine successes, his points in the respective competitions being 99 and 98. Cairns also won the sextette competition, with a lead of 10 points. In the quartette the baud.’s three teams occupied the first three positions in the awards among seven competitors'. The Cairns Citizens’ Band has risen practically from mere nonentity to become Australia’s premier band within a short space of three years, and he continued march from suecess to success (states an Austa-aliaa paper) presents an amazing story of bi illianjt bandsmanship in a comparatively small town, and it can truly, ba sgid that to-day Cairns is one of the best known places in Australia through the efforts of this small band of citizens.