EXHIBITION BAND CONTEST.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8359, 16 February 1907, Page 5

EXHIBITION BAND CONTEST.

By Telegraph—Press ' Association.

CHRISTCHURCH, February 15. The following are the additional results in connection with the test selections:—Palmerston North 291 points, Derry's Private 288, Auckland First Battalion 284, Dunedin Naval 284, MastertOn Municipal 284, Jupp's (Wellington) 283, Oamaru Garrison 283, Tuapeka 283, Timaru Garrison 280, Denniston 278, Invercargill Municipal 277, Taranaki Garrison 276, Hastings Town 274, Invercargill Garrison 271, Nelson Garrison 271, City 267, Greymouth Battalion 266, Ruahine Battalion 266, Napier Garrison 261, Timaru Marine 247. At the Band Contest, to-day, the programme included soprano ; cornets, tenor; trombones, E flat, and BB flat, a"d basses solos, trombone trios and quartettes. In the preliminaries for tenor trombones 17 competed, and the following were selected to play in the finals: —Fellows (Newcastle City), Sly and Gray (Wanganui), Congalton (Mornington). In the quaretttes there were 27 entries, but only eight played. The following were chosen for the finals: —No. 1 Newcastle, Wanganui Garrison and Kaikcrai No. 1. In the BB flat basses there were 17 competitors, and the following were chosen for the finals:—Maher (Mastertor.), Guthrie (Wanganui), Fenton (Woolston), Flanagan (Mornington). RESULTS. CHBISTCHURCH, February 15. The following are the results of the Band Contest to-day:—B-flat tenor trombones: Wt Fellows, Newcastle City, 95 points, 1; T. Gray, Wanganui, 90 points, 2; S. Sly, Wanganui, 87 points, 3; J. Congalton, Mornington, 86 points, 4. Quartette: Kaikorai, 100 points, and Wanganui Garrison,, 100 points, equal, 1. Newcastle City, 97 points, 2. E-flat soprano cornets: A. McMasters, Nelson garrison, 90 points, 1; R. Grant, , Newcastle City, 85 points, 2; T. Dick, Lyttelton Marine, 80 points, 3. Trombone trios: Wanganui Garrison, 90 points, 1; Palmerston North, 85 points, 2; Woolston, 84 points, 3.

PREVIOUS EXHIBITION CONTESTS.

There have been five Exhibition Band Contests in New Zealand, says the Canterbury Times. The first wis in connection with the Christchurch Exhibition of 1882; the next was at the Wellington Exhibition of 1885; then at j the New Zealand'and South Seas Exhibition, held at Dunedin in 1890; the competition at the Wellington Jubilee Exhibition of 1896, and in 1900 that in connection with the Canterbury Jubilee Exhibition. The first of the Exhibition contests, that held at Christchurch in 1882, seems insignificant when . compared with those of the present day, but, nevertheless, some good playing was heard at that contest. The Timaru Garrison Band wag awarded first prize, i The second Exhibition contest, that was held at Wellington in 1885, was run on novel lines. Each band that entered was called upon to play a programme on a certain Saturday evening. The Oamaru Garrison was the first band called, leading off on August Bth, <1885.' On succeeding Saturdays other bands played, and the last to be called upon was the Invercargill Garrison. The result of the contest was that Oamaru Garrison won with Invercargill second. During March, 1890, the then largest contest'took place at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition, held at Dunedin. Sixteen bands took part, and the judge placed the Oamaru Navals first, Invercargill Garrison second, Oamaru Garrison third. The marching contest was introduced at that contest, and was won by Wellington Garrison. In 1896 a contest was held in connection with the Wellington Jubilee Exhibition, seven bands taking part. The competition was weak, as compared with ordinary contests, and Wellington Garrison scored an easy win from the Canterbury Engineers and Stanmore. The Canterbury Jubilee Exhibition of 1900 was the occasion of the fifth contest. Thirteen bands took part, and the leading ones were Wellington Garrison, North-east Valley, Kaikorai, Dunedin Navals, Invercargill Garrison and South Canterbury. Wellington Garrison won the marching contest, with South Canterbury Battalion second and Invercargill Garrison third. The present Exhibition contest, the sixth of the series, is, of course, much the largest yet held in the colony, and is, indeed, the most important in 'the band history of Australasia. 1