MASTERTON BAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 July 1939, Page 2

MASTERTON BAND

A PRESSING NEED. SET OF NEW UNIFORMS. As mentioned at their annual meeting recently, a most pressing need of the Masterton Municipal Silver Band is the provision of a set of new uniforms of modern design. The present full-dress uniforms have outlived their usefulness, replacing the original hot-tie-green and gold uniforms, which figured so prominently and successfully at many Dominion championship contests in the past. Although perhaps it is a fairly long time since the wearers of the bottle green and gold uniform, as an A grade contest band, consistently gained places amongst the first six leading contesting and marching bands of the Dominion, there is no reason why, with proper uniforms and equipment, credit in this direction cannot again be brought to the town and district. For a country town Masterton in the past reached the very top rung in competition with such champion bands as Wanganui Garrison, Wellington Garrison, Kaikorai, Newcastle ■City (New South Wales), Dunedin Na-, vals, Woolston, Queen Alexandra s (Wanganui), Invercargill Garrison, | Oamaru Garrison, North East Valley (Dunedin), Taranaki Garrison, Palmerston North, Denniston. Westport City, Nelson Garrison, Hastings Municipal, Napier Garrison, Dannevirke Municipal. Timaru Garrison, Hawera. and Gisborne City. Notable band contests attended by the Masterton Band included Wanganui (twice). New Plymouth (twice). Masterton (three times). Christchurch Exhibition, Nelson (twice), Wellington (three times), Palmerston North (twice) and Napier (twice). Although it is admitted that there are many more responsibilities, attractions and entertainments to occupy the time and minds of the young men today than thirty years ago, still it should be possible, with the present keen and experienced conductor and management, augmented by modern uniforms and equipment and the support of residents of the town, to again place in the contest field a band which should bring credit to the town. Being Exhibition year, with its many attractions and engagements for district bands, modern and presentable uniforms are an absolute necessity, and it is understood a special effort in connection With the Masterton Band will be announced shortly. Already the band has been officially sounded by the responsible authorities in Wellington in connection with taking part in the welcome to the Welch Guards Band, one of the British Empire’s nWst notable regimental bands, whose arrival at the end of October (Labour weekend) under an Exhibition engagement, is to be made the occasion of a huge gathering of provincial bandsmen in Wellington. It is expected that all bands in Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Wairarapa and Wellington districts will be taking part. One of the items proposed to be presented by the massed bands is the “Maritana” selection, from the famous opera of that name, the composer of which was for some years resident in New Zealand. In connection with the efficient clothing of Masterton’s Municipal bandsmen, the committee have in view not so much the purchase of a uniform of an elaborate military design, as the provision of a modest, modern and serviceable uniform suitable for all occasions. In view of the urgency of the demand, it is confidently hoped by those who are interested in band music that the town and district will get behind the members of the band in their laudable effort to provide suitable uniforms for the players.