The Southern Stations

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 33, 24 February 1933, Page 9

The Southern Stations

by

Proton

} ENTION by Mr. J. T. Paul (4YA) that three-quarters of the Contineltt of Africa is within the tropics, suggests that in years to come we may realise that to call it the Dark Continent was a misnomer. Northern Hurope and our own draughty country are quite good cattle territory, where cows grow hides and sheep grow wool to keep the cold out. We spend a very substantial portion of our income for indigestible heating foods, for fuel and irksome. clothing, just to be a little less comfortable than the unintellectual sheep. The acquisition of land in Northern Africa may not be merely Europeans seeking for resources to sustain an artificial civilisation, but it may be blind evolution forcing sapient man to live by the powers of reason. Before the next glacial period all Europe may have been abandoned to the trees, the grass, the coated animals, and the ostracised from Aready within the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. HIS year Dunedin has the good fortune to be the battle ground of the band contest, and listeners to 4YA during the week will hear some good band music well performed. Brass bands in New Zealand have reached a high stage of efficiency, and the best of them would ornament musical circles in any country. Although it is well known that contests have been regularly held for a number of years, it is probably not so widely known that the first in Britain was not conducted until 1845. In those days it was customary for the Baronry to entertain the people of the county with festivals, during which the ladies and gentlemen played at falconry, archery, assault-at-arms, medieval games, morris dances and athletics, while the t¥nantry and cottars assisted in the pleasantries by exhibiting displays of fruit, flowers, vegetables, and handiwork. High revelry was held for 9 week or more, neighbourliness prevailed, and all were happy in "Merry England." x * * HE Ladies Chichester, helping in the organising of the Magdalene Feast -which Sir Clifford and Lady Constable were giving at Burton Constable, suggested a brass band contest as a variant to the usual competitions. They had witnessed similar contests in the South of France, and the hosts, being captivated with the idea, sent news abroad that a brass band contest would be included. Hach band was limited to twelve performers. Hight combinations took part in the proceedings, the

winners taking ‘a prize of £12. The second band was solaced with a prize of £8. Thereafter band contests became a feature of county festivals, and this was largely instrumental in stimulating interest in brass bands, and the ultimate forming of the Bands’ Association. * * * ‘THE history of military bands goes back nearly 100 years more. 171 years ago the famous band of the Royal Artillery was formed, and officially recognised. It consisted of a bandinaster and eight privates, and strange to say, for some years the musicians of the regiment appear to have been all foreigners, mostly Germans and Italians. Band music remained in a forlorn condition, however, until Boosey and Co. took the matter up in 1845-about the time of the first brass band contest. With Boosey’s active co-operation a new era dawned. Band music has not looked back since. The next important step was the establishment of Kneller Hall, known since 1887 as the Royal Military School of Musie. This academy has turned out most of the famous bandmasters in England, and among New Zealand’s best wind instrumentalists are representatives from the famous Kneller Hall. * * * BYA is a wretched station to listen to in Wellington, and everyone will be glad when the board’s new transmitter is erected on Banks Peninsula. The present station does everything it can to annoy, and its vagaries are beyond the powers of the most efficient volume control, but for all that I enjoyed the syncopated journey-inter-tuptions between bars-or "pub crawl," that was part of the fare from Christchurch on Saturday night. Mr. Curry took us back to the days of George Borrow and Dr. Johnston, and all would have enjoyed the rousing carousals in some of the inns that today have "Ichabod" writ large in the sawdust of the taproom floor. We enjoyed, too, the navvy’s feed in the chop-houses, that by grace of beneficent Toryism, exist to-day, and were glad to be reminded that even the motor has left unmolested a few of the taverns-licensed for music and danecing-where good company _ still forgathers. Many famous entertainers have graduated from the inns where audiences are helpfully critical, and although we in New Zealand have paid too much attention to quect people, I’m sure we all hope the taverns survive in England---whence we receive our inspiration,