BANDSMEN'S BENEFIT.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 December 1917, Page 4

BANDSMEN'S BENEFIT.

PROGRAMME OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC. The concert given last night by the .New Plymouth Citizens' Band at Puke« kura Park, as a bandsmen's benelit pro* gramme, was a pronounced success. The! temper of the evening was of itself an inducement to the public Vo attend, iq j addition to the popularity of the bandj liiwl the merit of the programmetftbmitted. There was a large attendance, and the applause accorded the various numbers given indicated tho appreciation o! the items submitted. The programme was well selected, affd provided scope for the utilisation of the combination to the best advantage. In spite of the fact that the 'band—like most similar orKanisations at the present time—contains a number of players of limited experience, all the items were well given and gave evidence of painstaking pre. paration and intelligent application td Hie work The opening march, "The Captain of the Guard" (J„bb), and the "n k. If ¥ ta France " (Pescorini), which followed created an excellent at. ' niospherc, and paved the way for the' production of Mozart's "Kyrie" and "Cloria" from thft 12th?M«us, which vers Riven with good effect. This number was perhaps the heaviest test of the eventae. and the band acquitted itself most aredit' ably. The cornet solo, "Australis" (LHh> gow). by Musician R. P. Taylor was also a much-appreciated item, and Ealfe's popular setting of "Excelsior," given bv. Musicians A. Handley and H. Hedleyj (trombone and euphonium) deserved'the. hearty applause which followed it* renfaring. The Christmas carols played by! the band were produced with an Mtistto effect not often attained in such work 1 hey included: "Hark the Herald Angels' Sing ' "Adesti Fidelia," "Christians Shepherds Watched." The band,also payed, by special request, the hvmA for absent friends, "Holy Father 'm*Thvi Keeping." ' •".

Included in the programme was aj special novelty number in which tha pub. he were invited to take a part. A must. cal mixture, entitled. "A. Melodious R«. vue" (Rimmer), which contained at least twenty different tunes was played; and a prize offered to the person guessing correctly the greatest rilrmber of the names of the tunes. A large number of returns were sent in, but the result was not ascertainable last night. ' The collection taken up was said to be most satisfactory, but the committee vvish it to be known that further donations will-to acceptable, and may, be sent to tho ( ehairman, Mr. E. Sole. The. willingness and enthusiasm with which ,the hoard has responded to every patriotic appeal and given its services to( further such efforts have placed the: pubMo of New Plymouth under a debt to the members, who have sacrificed a great amount of time in the publio cauie, It is hoped, therefore, that tho response to the Christmas Benefit Fund wiU be Hbtr« al and spontaneous. .