| Format: | Own Choice Test Piece Contest |
|---|---|
| Adjudicators: | William Baly , John Enderby Jackson , Mr McEleney , James Smythe |
| Venue: | Northernhay Gardens, Exeter |
See
http://www.ibew.org.uk/misc4286.htm
The concert and brass band contest on Northernhay, Exteter was as signal a success as that attempted to be held there about six weeks since, in connection with the summer exhibition of the Devon and Exeter Horticultural Society, was a failure. In many respects the two were perfectly antithetical. The fine weather, the crowded assemblage of visitors in both the afternoon and evening-sufficient, we should think, to satisfy the most extravagant expectations of the enterprising gentlemen by whom the concert was "got up "-and the eclat with which the whole passed off, so far at least its the public were concerned; these and many other features in these musical entertainments might be pointed out, if we wished to draw a contrast between these concerts. But we are afraid that such a contrast would only be favourable to the Monday concerts in those things over which neither of the committees of management had the slightest control. Altogether these brass band contests were as inferior to the volunteer band contests at the flower show, as the performances of the best trained of the competitors would be beside any of the respectable street bands, which may be heard any fine summer evening. We do not care to criticise performances where criticism would be nothing more than faultfinding. We do not, however, intend these observations to refer to Distin's concerts, which were passably good, though not, we suspect, what was expected from a ventil horn band which has, somehow or other, acquired what is called "celebrity." But even here we have a right to complain that the published programme was skipped in the morning in such a manner that not one visitor in half a dozen could at any moment depend that the piece being performed was that set down in the list. This is not as it ought to be, If a programme is published at al!, it should be adhered to with something like closeness, except under special circumstances. But in this instance the deviations were not occasional, but positively regular, and several of the pieces were altogether omitted. The programmes in reality were not programmes, but merely printed pieces of paper, the sale of which was little better than obtaining the money of the public under false pretences.
The following were the bards entered for the contest. No. 1, Blandford; conductor, R. Eyers; No. 2, 2nd Gloucestershire Volunteer Engineers; leader, U. Richardson; No. 3. Kingsbridge; leader, John Cranch, jun.;No. 4, 2nd (Devonport) Devon Volunteer Rifles; leader, Michael Byrne; No. 5, 3rd (Teignmouth) Devon Volunteer Artillery; leader, T. Tucker; No. 6, Dawlish Rifle Corps; leader, W. Cotton: No. 7, 16th (Yeovil) Somerset Rifles; leader, John Pardy : No. 8 Torquay Volunteer Rifles; leader, Thomas Duke.
The judges were - J. Smythe, Esq., B. M. Royal Artillery; Mc'Eleney, B. M. of the Carabineers; Wm. Baly, Esq., organist, Exeter. Final Referee, Mr. Enderby Jackson.
The prizes (amounting altogether to nearly £40) were awarded to - First prize to No, 1 band; second, to No. 5 band; third, to No. 6 band; fourth, to No. 2 band; and fifth, to No. 6 band.
Pieces played and players (for the Devon bands):
Kingsbridge Band - Constantinople Quadrille; Selection, "Lucretia Borgia" (Donizetti). Leader Mr. J. Cranch, first cornet; Mr. Lapthorne, first ditto; Mr Creedy, second ditto; Mr. Wellington, third ditto; Mr. F. Hammett, first tenor; Mr. H. Lee, second ditto; Mr. W. Hammett, euphonium; Mr. W. Philip, ophecleide; Mr. H. Lapthorne, contra bass; Mr. R. Burgoyne, drum
Gloucester Volunteer Engineers - Overture, "The Sham Fights” Marie, Duett and Chorus “Lombardi” (Verdi),
Dawlish Rifle Corps – “Gloria in Excelsis” (Mozart), Coronation March (Meyerbeer). Leader, Mr. Hallett, Exmouth, the cornet; Mr. W. Cotton, cornet; Mr. G. Gay, euphonium, Mr. C. Spencer. second cornet, Mr. G. Reed, alto tuba, Mr. W. Wood, bombardine; Mr R. Cridge, tenor, Mr B. Cornelius, baritone; Mr. J. Coath, second cornet.
Teignmouth Artillery - Overture, "Nabucco” (Verdi), Selection, "Il Trovatore" (Verdi). Leader, Mr. T. Tucker, A flat cornet; T. Tucker, Jun., soprano, A flat; M Portbury, cornet; Mr. B. Valentine, solo ophecleide; Mr Hawkins, bass ophecleide C; Mr. Ison, euphonium A flat; Mr. Windeatt, first tenor; Mr.Windeatt, Jun., second tenor; Mr. Gale, baritone; Mr. May, bombardine; Mr. Bayley, bass drum; Mr. Valentine, ditto.
Blandford Band - Selection "La Prophete” (Meyerbeer), selection, "Ernani" (Verdi).
Torquay Rifles - Glee “Meynheer Van Dunck”; Quadrille “Geneva”. Mr. Thomas Drake, leader; Mr. Crowe, first cornet; Mr. Crocker, second ditto; Mr. Peters, second ditto; Master Bennett (11 years), second ditto; Mr. Easterling first tenor; Mr. Larwell, second ditto; Mr. May, baritone; Mr. Thomas, euphonium; Mr. Bennett, bass trombone; Mr. Bossett, contre-bass.
Each band played one piece first; and then they all performed together the "Artillery and Rifle Corps March”. Distin’s Ventil Horn Band played in the Castle-yard, in the evening, after which the bands played their second pieces.