PATRIOTIC APPEAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 April 1942, Page 2

PATRIOTIC APPEAL

VISIT OF ROYAL AIR FORCE BAND. ATTRACTION THIS WEEKEND. Through the activities of the 1942 Patriotic Committee (of which “John Bull” is a humble member) and by permission of the Minister of Defence the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band will visit Masterton during the coming weekend. As a small boy “John Bull” remembers the thrill he received from the bands of those days with the bold drum major marching in front.

A musical friend has told "John Bull” that there were bands of sorts even in ancient Nineveh, according to the Sculptures in the British Museum. Apparently in those days the bands consisted mostly of harps and flutes with a dulcimer and a small drum. On ceremonial occasions bands were accompanied by vocalists. It is said that the Egyptians used a musical instrument which was the lineal ancestor of the bagpipes of Scotland, and the snake charmers’ instruments in India. Roman legions covered Europe 2000 years ago and they developed the brass instruments in a crude sort of military band. Throughout the Middle Ages there were practically no military bands, music being supplied by minstrels and troubadours. Frederick of Prussia was supposed to have been very fond of bands and from his date onwards military bands slowly developed throughout Europe. During the last war all the British regular regiments had their bands, many of them of a very high quality. The New Zealand infantry battalions also had bands of good quality. At the beginning of the present war the War Office decided that bands could be dispensed with. When the New Zealand Second Echelon landed in England their bands immediately played their way into the hearts of the people and the authorities seeing the effect on the morale encouraged the English Regiments to put their bands into training again.