Middle of the Organ – Short Snort (Organ) #10

The Band Contest Committee established precedent, as far as Maryborough is concerned, when it held a mouth-organ contest in the Town Hall last night. There was a fair crowd present, but as the Mayor (Alderman. C. H. Adam) pointed out when addressing the audience, the attendance was disappointing from a national point of view. As the programme was of Australian strain, he said the Australian residents of Maryborough should have been more strongly represented. The competition was weak, although the number of entries received promised that the affair should have been more successful in this direction. Only four of the seventeen players who had entered in the championship class competed, while of the twelve entrants in the imitation item, only one came forward.

The adjudicator (Mr. R. P. Moon conductor of the Philharmonic Society), said at the conclusion of the contest that he was disappointed with the class of music submitted. He had heard the mouth-organ played in a manner which astounded him; indeed, the scope of the instrument was extraordinary. He pointed out several technical faults of the competitors, the principle of which were; the holding of the instrument and the tonguing. In the latter practice most of the players made an error by affecting the accompaniment with the tip of the tongue; instead of the middle of that organ.

The items were played with own choice music, and the following were the results: — Championship of Wide Bay and Burnett Districts; first: prize £5/5/- and gold medal; Jacob Ammenhauser, Granville, 71. points, 1. The adjudicator said the finalists had shown a decided improvement in the final and the winner had given a fair Interpretation of the piece, but the players were far from true championship standard.

Best imitation on mouth-organ of any other instrument, first prize £1/17 and gold medal — Jacob Ammenhauser, 77 points, 1. There was only one competitor in this competition. The imitation submitted by this player, said Mr. Moore, was not a true imitation of the violin, of which, it was supposed to be. The tone should have been smoother, and the player made an effort to effect a tremolo in which he did not succeed because of his wrong hold of the instrument. (Maryborough Chronicle 28 January 1927).

Happy New Month Raffers.