BAND CONTEST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 58, 27 February 1908, Page 3

BAND CONTEST.

I ykstkrdays i:i;sii.is. I - - SOU) CoMPLTKIiK'N. Tin' <olo competitions were iinit:i]iit'i] vested,!/, lii.' K I'I.AI' ISASSKM came lust lor deci-ion, ami uric placed liy llit- judge, as lollows:--1!. Wil-on |\Yoo|.i„n|, "lu leilar ! ' ■•• "" l'»'«l- I ; I-. Mi* ( laranuuil, "Will \ e y, I lome liack Again.'' .-,11 poiuis .. ■> s. signal (Wanjr.umi), "Ponderous," 5.S [mints ;j Also competed: li. Iluvsl iMniii.i). •"'I: )•'• t!. Hull |.\Joniii, S ioii,. jj; u, I'. Coiighlan (Morniugloni. .')( i; .1. llollu-,v-iPalincrston). .-,«;.' c. Winter (.Master- I ton I. 57; li. L. Scon-en (Stratford', I •Vt; W. White (Hastingsl, 57. li-KLAT ISASS. I'ivc competed in this event, which IC-tlltod as follow-:-W. Crosby list Jtattalioni, "(iipsy', Warning," lil points '.. 1 C. liallup (Woolstonl. "In Cellar ■ (Viol." IK points > -' X. Allen i.'l'iiraiiakil. "Sohn.u.ht.'' ! .V.I iniiiils 1 ; Also nilll|M'loil: K. I!. I!. Ilolhcn ; iPalnioislou Xorth). 01: C. Sass (lla-:- !

j ISIW'UU ISASS. j II;:- competition was pruduclive ..I j some line performances. Seven comI peted out of the nine entrant*, and the j results were as follows: W. Kenton (Woolslon), ••Songbirds." Mi points ] A. A. (iutlirie (Wangaiiuii. "llarmonious Rlaeksmitli." tit jioinls .. 2 W. I'ittam (Palmerston), Mexico,'' liil points .. .. .. ;; Also competed: A. Wheeler (Ist Hattalion). 57; I). Flanagan (Moniiugtonl. 5!»: K. .1. Mali,.,- (Masterton). lid; C. Hartley (Ist li\jttalionl, (ill. t: tromjsom:.

In this competition lour competed, and the results were: - A. Handley (Taranaki). "Crystal Palace," lil points \ 11. ti. Hill (I*L liattalion), "in Cellar Cool,'' lit) points 2 !•'. Caultou (Hastings), "Crystal

Palace," 57 points ; Also competed: ti. Jlovd iWaiigauui I .53.

The judge, ill announcing the results uf the 88-llat Bass and G Trombone solos, said lie must compliment the competitors on their performances, especially those in the G Trombone competition. The winner's perforinan. o was as line an exhibition of bass troiulione playing as he had heard for many a long year. His tone had been warm, and his expression splendid. In short, he had played almost faultlessly. Tic player of "Songbirds" bad. he'considered. cho»en much too diilieult a sola, and lie advised him to choose a simpler one next time.

THE FIRST .TEST SELECTION. AN IMMENSE CONCOI'IISE. The first test selection was played last night on the Recreation Spor'.s Ground. The weather promised wvli when the crowd of nearly four thousand people distributed themselves ovr the terraces, anil the scene caused many to wonder what sort of a crush there would have been had an attempt been made to play the selections in the Theatre Royal. Places were drawn i; ii.3(l p.m., and the first band took the platform shortly after 7 o'clock, some delay being caused by the eccentricities of one or two of the big electric arc lights.

The test niece was "Gems of Schumann," arranged by William Short, and il is admittedly a most diilieult pie-e of classical music, rather too advancd for the bands ill the. "It" grade competition. Being among the classics, it was not quite the music for a large an I mixed audience, who like plenty of "fireworks'' served up with their instrumental treats. The arrangements on the ground were excellent, and there, wore no weary waits between the different renditions. The illuminated figures indicating the catalogue numbers of the competing bands worked excellently. Supper and refreshment tents appeared to do good business. The crowds thinned out considerably at 111 o'clock, the move being prompted by a slight shower of vain. Vortit iately, this was of brief duration. The list selection was finished al ll.:;i) p.m.. and ten minutes later the judge. Lieutenant Herd, emerged froni the judge's box and took the platform wi'h the North Island Brass Band Association executive, the local contest committee, and the bandmasters, announcing the results. The decision, '.o s-ty the least of it, was unexpected, the great mass of the public favoring Woolslon. Miisterton. and Hastings in lli.it order for the "A" grade. 'The "I!" grade liand* were warmly congralull led upon their performance by the senior bands. Results of the first test: "A" GRADE. Morning! on I Hi Auckland First Battalion 111 Nelson Garrison .. .. H 4 Woolston 135 Tarauaki 134 Hastings is-. Masterton Kin "I!" GRADE. Palinerslon North .. 132 Marton 12ft Auckland Mounted Rilles 127 Manaia 123 U GRADE. -Manaia.—Fair opening; tempo good; crescendo good; comet cadenza sweet tone, but slight slips; opened »-8 movement fairly well, but then seemed to get oil' the beat; euphonium cadenza poor, and on the wrong shake-note; allegro vivace a little stow, but «cll together; horn unsuccessful in diilieult passage; band away out of tunc i:i alicgio, and finished fairly well. Good rendition for young baud. l'aliiierston North. Band opened well and was well balanced; cornel staccato passages could have been belter; accompaniment not together in cornet solo; soprano bad slip, and band out of tune still in cornet solo: cornel cadenza only fair; soprano very rough, and band very ragged: euphonium cadenza only poorly rendered: allegro molto very fair; trombone -010 rough; uncertain in allegro; finished well. Auckland .Mounted Rilles. - Opting good, temp,, good, good conception of piece. liasses best yei : cornets not together in nun troppo staccato passages, but recovered: horn accompaniment good; lie-t toned hand so far, anil nicly balanced: accompaniment good in 3-2 movement; crescendo was not uu to other work, failing midway, slipping badly; euphonium cademu very fair, slipping a couple of notes; succeeding tempo slow; band grew a little ragged; soprano and cornet getting out of tune; allegro vivace pas -age opened roughly. Iml improved, hoiu -kipped two bar-: soprano spoiled I lie allegro movement, but last few bars well placed. Marlon. -- 'I his band opened taillv well together: in ■'.Marseillaise" accent ! too pronounced in -Ulecalo passage:

accompaniment good at start of nun lioppu, hut seemed to lull away, and

linisltcd tin' movement poorly; cornel -010 very currcct, ami accompaniment good alio; euphonium .cadenza poor;

allegro movement very fair, aud we'd together; horn passage could have been cleaner in allegru vivace movement; in out of tune, hut recovered, and finished well and in tune.

A UKADE. Alaslertou.—Uand opened splendidly, comet solo slipped in opening bars, horn a little out of tune, cornet cadenza very good, basses nut together in !I-S -movement; euphonium cadenza followed a fine, movement; baud coiitiuu-Js I excellently in andante grazioso, cornel giving good accompaniments; soprano good tone, but missed; soprano behind and accompaniment behind in allegro vivace movement; trombone solo good; basses very good iu allegro, aud baud well together, to all excellent finish. VYoolslon.—Good opening, nice and full and well sustained; non troppj movement nicely done; comet solo nicely rendered; in the cadenza the cornet made a slip in the high register; baud, well together in euphonium solo, which was uniformly good throughout; euphonium cadenza the best so far; conceited movement nicely rendered, intermezzo nicely negotiated, followed by good volume of lone in allegro vivac. j band nicely luge!her; horn took dilliciilt passage rather nicely: niudcrain was very well played, leading lo a spleniiid finale, whieli was loudly applauded. A good performance. Hastings. This band opened well, nice and tuneful, cornets very swcei: in the non troppo movement the staccato parts were well brought in; band nicely in tune for cornet solo; cornet solo well taken, but soloist slipped in Ills cadenza: band nicely together in 0-8 inoderato: euphonium cadenza very

well done indeed; Hie following allegro J moderato was taken well together, but 1 pi!haps a little quickly; intermezzo 1 nicely played In Hie cornets; allegro j vivace, hand well together, horn re-, ! dering |,j. pas-age very (learlv ; 110 ! inodeiato alter allegro, for triiniboiie j s„|o. baud well in tune, cornels •_.■■(,! ii!: 3 < : lop r* and As very Irarl.v ;' linal'e ; good. A line perlnrniaii.'; j T.u-au.iki Harrison.-- lliind openedwell together, tempo slower than other bauds: nun troppo movement not qnile so cris)i as that of preceding band; band nicely together at cornet solo, which was fairly done, cadenza (conic; I sweetly intoned- moderato inovenie H well togelher. but a bit ragged m [daces: cadenza fairly done; allegro niollo a fair rendering. There was a fair rendering of the intermezzo, but a Utile ragged in places; band started

I well logether in allegro vivace, th • j horn managing his diflieult part nioderi ately well: in moderato, trombone solo. j not too »i) ( ,d; cornets out of tune in j lop notes in allegro; band finished fairly well. ! Nelson (iarrison.—Opening very good, tenors not correct, not playing staccatos clear: iii second movement band not together: in third movement baritone obbligato was not suflicientlv loud: the cornet -010, "Devotion Song.'" was played beautifully, with tuneful aicoinpaniiiient; tenor horn obbligalo a Utile on weak side: a very prettiiv played conn t solo: (he only' man vr, who correctly slurred (he cornet cadenza: molerato too laborious. s(v-

j cato not line, moderato again lacking attack: at baritone solo band not lqg:'ther: no declamation, a tendency •..■ drag: euphonium cadenza very fair: !u allegro niolto. balance not a strong point: in intermezzo, the longning not smart enough, not light enough for intermezzo, baritones weak; at the waltz in allegro vivace, soprano playiig sweetly, followed by horn solo, which was well taken; in the "Rhine Song," land again (00 lalmrious; in allegro, final movement an improvement, hut middle of band was not at all conspicuous.

I Mornington. Opening good, tromj bone u little prominent; movement j very nicely balanced; filtering second I ilioveinent band was playing well, nic< ; J ami crisp; very well togethyr, euphonium pretty parage just before "Devotion .Song," in which tempo wa» rapid compared with • others; opening •next movement, accompaniment lather blurred, but alter lew bars great improvement shown, soprano very effective; cornet solo very well played, and cornet cadenza likewise; moderate fairly well played; in declamatory song rendition effective, but euphonium solo lacked spirit; cornet obbligato well played; euphonium cadenza well played, good tone. The band was well in hand in allegro molto concerted bars, but sounded tame compared with one or two previous renderings of this passage: intermezzo, however, delicate-

ly played: allegro vivace tun labored; horn obbligato well played; trombone eoiild have been improved; changed tempo, though mil shown: good liuisii. and <m tin- whole a fair performance. Auckland First battalion—An excellent opening; hardly enough character in ".Marseillaise"; grand finish to this

movement; non troppo played well, balance good, cornet and euphonium playing finely together; cornet solo, "JJevotion Song," nice interpretation, tempo perhaps a little quick; solo cornets not properly together; good diminuendo passage, and cornet cadenza fairly played; moderato hardly livciv

enough at opening, but improved; euphonium declaiming well, but at tinish of bis solo made a couple of bad breaks euphonium cadenza fair; intermezzo nicely played, soprano work i;; particular lieing noticeable: allegro viva:c too uneven, but staccato movement well

played: horn obbligato well played; trombone opened welt; band improving, and allegro very well played, with excellent liuish. Td-IMY. -MAiiaiixi; «>.\u>KTmox, This afternoon the popular Quickstep competition take* place on the Recreation Sports Ground. Tile bands will muster in Kgmont-strect at 12.45 sharp, the first band marching oil at 1 o'clock, in the following order: Auckland First Battalion,' Auckland Mounted Hilles, Hastings, Manilla, Marton, Ma=terton, Mornington. Nelson Garrison, I'almerston .wirlli, W'oolston, and Tarami ki Harrison, playing en route. On arrival at tl|.e ground places will lie drawn and the Quickstep competition decided, the bands plaving Mr. I'. Tnisscll's inarcli "X.I.IUILv." This is always a popular afternoon's enjoyment —"people's liny - '—at any contest. Al the conclusion of the competition the massed bands will play the selection. The following are the 'nllicials for the competition: --.Marshal, Uout.-t'olonsl Okcy: military judges, Major Malone. I'aptain (.'. 'l'. Mills, Captain F. T. Bell-,l-inger, Sergeant-Major Peacock, and Sergeant-Major Sanderson: jud'"<; of instruments. Mr. ('. H. Lawn.

The euphonium solos commence this morning at !) o'clock, and the trombone trios to-night at 8 o'clock. The bass drum and side drum competition will be decided immediately after the quickstep. CARDKX i'AM'Y. The postponed garden party, with the march ' , rndaun(ed" by (lie massed bands, will take place to-morrow afternoon.