Even Champions Have Ups And Downs

Radio Record, 13 May 1938, Page 14

Even Champions Have Ups And Downs

Written For The ‘"Reeord"

By

EMILE

HE life of a band is very much like the life of a human being. It has moments of great happiness and moments equally depressing. It has a win here and a loss there. It is sometimes arrested for debt. It makes friends and loses them, and makes them again. In fact, it runs up and down the whule scale of emu: tions with as much variety as a cornetist playing 1 « test piece championship. And, like most human beings, it just keeps gomg o2t, HIS, ut least. was the impression 1 got when | was toll something of the history of the present helders of the New Zealand Brass Bands championship. The Port Nicholson Band, which began life as the Weljington Watersiders’ Band, hus had its ups and downs, Ai the moment it is ou top of the brass bund world of Netw Zealand, but at times it has been on the bottom. And though vever actually arrested for debt, the band onee had its instruments seized by bailiffs in the middle of an important contest-through no fault of its own. T has oue other distinction, too, that will appeal to radio listeners. It was the first band in New Zealaud to give s puolblic Whroadeye«cr.

That was neurly 18 yeurs ago, when a private company was hrogdeactine From tha tor «>t

the Ford Building in (our tona T mla/0 Wellinoto

1" 'The band hroadcast through only O11(' m 1 Cr0 p h 0 n e

hanging from the ceiling, but its musie weut over the air well. It was received as far away as Dune edin, : WK band was. first formed in 191% as the Wellington Water siders’ Band, The present eonuduetor, Mr. JI, J. Drew, Was appointed in 1916 and bas beep with the band eves eince.

Australian born, Mr. Drew first played the corne: in the school band of St. Benedict's, in Sydney, and joined the famous Newtown Band, the crack’ band of Australia, at the age of 18. In this band he played under George O'Shea. Prefessur of Music at King’s School, Sydney. and 1. Mellar. {ater he was professional cornet to the New South Wales Government ‘Tramways Band in Sydney. and to the Australian light Horse Band at Goulborti. He moved on to Hobart. There, he was simultaneously condueter of three bands. Once he conducted two of them in competitions. One came first and the other second. HEN he decided to go to New Zealaud, but be could net make up his mind whether to go to Auckland or to Wellington, He said tu his wife: "Heads, Wellington : fuils, Auckland." Tbe coin came up heads, and Mr. Drew cane tv Wellington aud soon beeame conductor of what is now the Port Nicholson Band, TNDER Mr. Drew the band went for its first contest 19 Dunedin. and won the B Grade championship by 2! points, The adjudicator, Mr. Percy Jones, suid that the band’s playing of "Lurline’ was the outstanding eveut of the coutest, In its next coptest. two veurs later, the baud entered

for the A Grade championsbip at Wellington. and had the honour of heconing New Zealand's choim-

piou band. It bad set a fine record of two wins in

two starts. So fur the upgrade, but next

the Gown, When the band Jeft nexsi year for the contest in Duiiedin, the Weljington Woatersiderys’ Tonio wis havine trouble Tt Thee heen sued fer 2 sum of money, apa the — plaintiffs hud won The plain. tiffs sent the bailiffs dewn to the eonfest af Pdon(C. on p. S4)

Champion Band

(iT HAD UPS AND DOWNS (Continued from Page 14.) edin to seize the instruments of the band. The bailiffs took possession of the instruments when the contest was half through. The band, in no way responsible for the debt, found itself paying the piper. "THE Redfern Band, of Australia, now the City of Sydney Band, had come over specially to meet the Port Niche olson Band in the contest. In the first test at this championship the Redfern Band had come first and the Port Nicholson third. In the second test, the Port Nicholson had come first. On the following day the bailiffs took all the instruments. Five bands, including the Redfern, offered the Port Nicholson their instruments, but the offers had to be declined. The mouthpieces were different in many instances, the instruments ‘were strange. . The bailiffs had won. "THE Port Nicholson returned to Wellington with the loss of the contest and five instruments (besides the ones belonging to the union) worth £260, that they had hought themselves, but which, in law, were the property of the Watersiders’ Union. Well, you can’t keep a good band down. The band set out to build up again. Under the auspices of the Wele lington Harbour Board, it began again as the Port Nicholson Silver Band. Soon it became famous for its Sunday night concerts, heard from the Opera House in Wellington, on the air in national hook-ups in the days of the Broadcasting Company. Leading singerg Visiting New Zealand, such as Gladys Moncrieff, Marie Burke, Colin Crane, and Eve Lynn, sang at these concerts to help the band. They gave the band their services free. In 1932 the band again became the New Zealand champions. Then the depression hit the band. Films replaced the broadcast concerts at the theatre and funds were low. But again the band hung on, and in the last two years has improved its position, until to-day it is again on a sound financial footing and again the champion band of New Zealand. Among its individual players must be mentioned Mr. T. Goodall, one of the best cornetists in Australasia, Besides being several times New Zealand champion, he has held the championships of Australia and New South Wales. At the moment he has resigned, for health reasons, but the band hopes to have him back. "He is the kind of player," says the conductor, "who places confidence in every man in the band,"