"HOW LIKE A BAND!"

Radio Record, 10 June 1938, Page 15

"HOW LIKE A BAND!"

New Brighton Looked So Smart The G.G. Snapped Them at the Gee-Gees in New Uniforms.

Written for the "Record" by

ERIC

BAKER

i] ANGING in the place of honour in the New Brighton Municipal Bandroom is a picture of the band itself, cheeks distended, toes at an angle of forty-five degrees. It is @ very remarkable picture. The finger thet clicked the trigger that released the shuttle and exposed the plate that took the picture of the New Brighton band was a viceregal finger. The only hotter spot in the New Brighton band’s history was provided by a fire that destroyed their instruments.

HEN Lord Bledisloe was Gover: . nor-General of \ New Zealand, he never went far without his camera. I can remember an occasion when I was a member of the Press party accompanying his Excellency on a tour of inspection, and Lord Bledisloe suddenly broke off his conversation with local

Cignitaries, Tocused his camera on the newspaper party. and said smilingly: "Now, then, you fellows I’m going to get you for a change!" We called the story, "The Biters Bitten." Thousands of professional and amateur camera men have taken pictures of Lord Bledisloe, but few ean claim to have been photographed by him. ‘That’s why the New Brighton Municipal Band, Christchurch, heard from 3YA occasionally, is so proud of a picture hanging in its bandroom. Lord Bledisloe, impressed by the band's smartness. snapped the conductor and members while they were playing sweet music at a Christchurch race meeting, and sent them an autographed copy. That is but one of the hot spots in this band’s history. It has shared, with many other bands in New Zealand, the inconvenieuce of having its gear destroyed by fire. Like them, too, it has played Phoenix, and to-day is a musica} combination of considerable value to the City of the Plains as well as to the seaside borough.

EW Brighton, popular seaside resort five or so miles east of Christchurch, was created a borough in 1896. Population then was small, but the residents were de{grmined to have # brass band. Seaside boroughs get that way.... A few players were gathered together and were admired by the Jocals at public functions. Even at that early stage, 4 highly expert bandsman was in the combination, the late Mr. Arthur Free, afterward soprano player for the Stanmore Band in itS cone

test days. But like old soldiers the little band gradually "faded away," and the borough was dependent on the city for its brave music by the shore. (RHROUGH the efforts of Captain A. W. Owles, known to,everybody in New Brighton (and in Christchureb for that matter) as "Skinner."

a band rotuida was built on the foreshore. Well, said the residents, there’s the rotunda, now for a band again. And in 1907 a group was formed, including enthusiasts such as the late Charles Israelson, Bill Bllis, Jack Haig, Tom Palmer, Bill Taylor (now proprietor of the New Brighton Pier), Charles McCree and Edgar Colenso, with Captain A. P. Hopkius as drill instructor. For a title "Marine" was chosen, and then came a hunt for a suitable conductor, Mr. J. Goodchild holding the fort until a full-time man was appointed. Someone discovered, in March, 1908, that Mr. R. I. Simpson, of Dunedin, was in Christchurch on a health trip. He was approached by Mr. E. A. M. Leaver on the band’s behalf, and agreed to take over if work could be obtained for him. The appointment was made and "Skipper" Owles paid Mr. Simpson a weekly wage until the new conductor wae set up in a little business. Now known as the New Brighton Marine Band, the next step was to obtain uniforms in keeping with the name. Very smartly turned out, the combination gained popularity

by leaps and bounds. Mr. Simpson remained conductor until 1913. OR © severat years the band went through 2 very chequered career — as all bands seem fd do. The late W. S$. Gilbert must have had _ something of the sort in his mind when he made one of hig characters remark, "How like a band!" A seemingly endless proces: sion of conductors Was appointed -all competent men, They included Messrs. D. Blyth, J. Thom(Contd. on p, 88.)

~ "How Like a Band" NEW BRIGHTON MUNICIPAL i aneeray

(Continued from page 15). son, C. Dunn, F. Fox, F. Haughey and A. G. Heath. But even competent men became. disheartened. It is only since the present conduc: tor, Mr. J. A. Nuttall, was appointed, that the band seems to have made permanent progress. He took over in 1920, He hag ability and a personality which commands obedience and respect. For some years past the New Brighton Municipal Band, as it is now known, hag supplied the music for all the race -Ineetings. of the Canterbury Jockey Club, New Zealand Metropolitan tris ting Club and New Brighton Trotti Ag Club. It has also been engaged by the Christchurch City Council and the New Brighton Borough Council for municipal concerts. More recently New Brighton has been on the 3YA schedule. \ SOMETIMES the bandsmen take their instruments far afield. Not long ago they paid a visit to the West Coast where audiences specially asked for pieces played over the air, including vocal numbers and the specialiy-popular song with the West Coaster‘s, "Let the Rest of the World Go By." Conductor Nuttall igs the vocalist. At one period of this band’s history, So ag fo secure a permanency of the organisation, the New Brighton Borough Council paid off a debt of £100 owing for the purchase of instruments and took over the assets of the band. New uniforms were badly needed at this time. The late Mr. C. Israelson and Mr. E, A. M. Leaver, both ex-bands-men, Were borough councillors. A committee was formed to do things about bazaars and the like. A net profit of £200 wag the result. Decked out in a neat blue uniform, trimmed with black braid and yellow tracing, the band marched rapidly ahead. Then tragedy came. The band was practising in the scout house in Rawhiti Domain, where uniforms and instruments were stored. Tire broke out, and, though an insurance cover enablei new gear to be procured, the band was homeless. But there existed a joint committee of the council and the band, of which Mr. Leaver was chairman. It occurred to Mr. Leaver that as £150 was being received for insurance on the scout house, and it was aot intended to reerect the house, the sum might be used to buy material for building a band hall, the band to supply the labour. / The proposal was agreed to by the council, and eventually the band took up musical residence in a tine new home. Mr. A. E. Lawry sueceeded Mr Leaver as chairman of the band-com-Inittee and assisted in every possible way. Two years ago the band gave further thoughts to sartorial splendour and decided to go in for new and expensive uniforms, Carnivals were held on the beach to raise cash but the response Was not sufficient. Mr. Nuttall obtained permission to hold that saree all-an art union. It was decided to give 25 per cent. of the profits to the borough council for beach improvement and 25 per cent, to the local sub-branch of the R.S.A, The result warranted the conducior’s

optimism. The sum of £739 was netted. ‘The local surf pavilion was improved out of the £184 received by the counvii Bandsmen are not selfish! HE present uniforms were worn for the first time at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s*‘November meeting in 1986. It was then they caught the eye of the former Governor-General. His Excellency sent his photograph with his compliments to Mr, Nuttall and his men. This picture is one of the band’s proudest possessions, of Besides’ the present mayor (Mr. EK {. Smith), the following past mayors have been true friends of the band :-- ‘The late Mr. GC. He A. T. Opie, the Inte Mr. J, A. Flesher; the late Mr. GC. if ‘Winny, Mr. &. Kibblewhite, the late Mr. J. Gamble and Messrs. A. W. Owles, J. H. Shaw and FE. A.-M. Leaver. The tlon.:D. G. Sullivan, member of Parlia‘ment for the district, bas helped tne band on all occasions, and to-day he, with Messrs. Owles and Leaver, are joint patrons. Mr. Leaver is also an honorary life member. -Mayor’ FE. L.. Smith is president.