Format:	Other
Adjudicators:	C. Douse , J. Hanson
Venue:	Lower Arboretum, Ipswich

Position	Band	Conductor	Draw
1	Mr. Jackson's Band (Norwich)	Unknown	4
2	11th Suffolk Volunteer Rifles (Sudbury)	Unknown	1
3	Messrs. Towgood and Evans' band (Sawston)	Unknown	2
4	6th Essex Volunteer Rifles (Colchester)	Unknown	3

See
http://www.ibew.org.uk/misc4286.htm

The announcement of a Brass Band Contest to take place in the ground of the Lower Arboretum, Ipswich, in which it was stated eleven amateur bands from different parts of the Eastern Counties had entered the list for prizes, attracted a great deal of attention, and as the weather was beautifully fine, and for other reasons, the day bore somewhat the character of a general holiday, and large numbers of people, probably near 2,000, went to witness the contest. It was stated in the bills and advertisements that a first prize of £12, with a silver mounted baton would be awarded to the band proving itself best in the contest, and that to the second, third, fourth, and fifth, prizes of £10, £6, £2, and £1 respectively would also be awarded. It was further promised that the eleven bands which it was said had entered for the contest, would comprise in all not fewer than 230 performers, and that the bands would be combined after playing the first piece, and perform, in grand orchestra, "National, Volunteer, Artillery, and Rifle Corps March." The bands that were said to be entered for the contest were: Gawthorp Britannia, Flockton, 13th Suffolk Volunteer Rifles (Bury St. Edmund's), 2nd Essex Volunteer Rifles (Ilford), 8th Cambridgeshire Volunteer Rifles (Cambridge), The Order of Druids, and V. A. C. (Hull), Mr. Jackson's Band (Norwich), The 6th Essex Volunteer Rifles (Colchester), The 15th Suffok Rifles (Wrentham), Messrs. Towgood and Evans' band (Sawston), and The 11th Suffolk Volunteer Rifles (Sudbury). The contest was to be under the management of Mr. Enderby Jackson, manager of similar contests at the Crystal Palace. In the evening there was to be a Grand Fete Champetre and dancing in various parts of the ground, the whole to close with a "Magnificent Display of Fireworks" Visitors were to pay one shilling for admittance to the ground with the privilege of remaining till the whole fete was at an end, but if they left after the contest in the afternoon sixpence was to be demanded of them for re-admission in the evening. There were certain suspicions abroad that the affair would not be all that was promised, and those suspicions were not lessened when, at the latter end of the previous week, bills were issued offering the privilege of tickets at half price, if taken by Saturday evening.
However, as the time of the entertainment drew nigh, the numbers we have stated repaired to the grounds. Four small bands having previously assembled on the Cornhill, played their way in succession to the Arboretum. On the ground a stand was erected for the performers, arid a small marquee close at hand for the judges, who were stated to be C. Douse, Esq., bandmaster of the Royal Horse Guards Blue : and J. Hanson, Esq., bandmaster of the National Volunteer Rifle Band. After some little delay the band of the Sudbury Rifle Corps, numbering 9, ascended the stand, and performed Verdi's overture to "Nabucco" the piece was executed carefully, and was received with some favour by the audience. Next Messrs. Towgood and Evans's band, from Sawston, Cambridgeshire, numbering also 9 performers, mounted the platform and played a selection from "Trovatore" The Colchester Rifle band, numbering 11, followed, and played a selection from "Stradella" and after them Mr. Jackson's Norwich band, to the number of 11 men, dressed in plain clothes, played the "Hallelujah Chorus" But here the contest came to a stop, for there were no more bands upon the ground. Some signs of dissatisfaction began to manifest themselves, and enquiries were made for the manager. He was found in the judge's marquee, and was described as "Mr. Marren" He had been expressing, in terms which did not quite carry conviction, to several gentlemen who had gained access to him, his mortification that the other bands had disappointed him. To the reporters he offered to produce proofs which would entirely exculpate him from all blame in the matter; for which purpose he proffered an invitation to them to meet him over a bottle of wine at the "Running Buck" Inn, the next morning - an invitation which caused some amusement among those gentlemen, Presently Mr. Mawer made his appearance among the company outside the marquee, and was at once called upon to answer for the failure in his programme, and a crowd was round him in a few minutes. He proceeded again to excuse himself, by saying that the bands had called off at the last minute, and he had received telegrams from two of them that very morning. He was profuse in his expressions of regret, but his statements did not quite give the satisfaction required. After a time he invited the Secretary to the Arboretum Committee and several other gentlemen into the marquee, to look at the letters of which he had spoken, and it was immediately crowded. The letters were produced, somewhat unwisely it appeared, for no stronger proof was needed than those letters that the entertainment was got up by the Manager in entire disregard of good faith to the public. One of the first letters produced was from Bury St. Edmund's, stating that the band would not be able to accede to Mr. Mawer's invitation to join in the contest - that letter was dated August 4, eight days before the contest. Other letters were dated the 5th, 6th, 9th, &c., and all were written in terms clearly proving that they had not previously engaged to attend, as some of them were simply answering in the negative the first invitation that had been given them. The man offered to prove that the bands had, previously engaged to attend, and opened a book, In which certain forms were filled up, of the number of men in each of the bands in question, with the names of the leader, conductor, &c.; but there was no signature, or guarantee whatever, on the part of the bands, to attend; and the production of the book, like that of the letters, was a mere insult to the understanding of those who were asked to inspect them, and proved the affair, beyond doubt, to be a reckless and unprincipled speculation.
The bands afterwards played in combination, and again separately, with long intervals between each effort, during which the manager was surrounded in different parts of the ground by a considerable crowd, some of them expressing their indignation at being induced to attend under false pretences, but most of them only giving vent to a little good. humoured banter, from which the man continued to screen himself, by repeating the poor explanations already given. At one moment he became exasperated, when the affair was characterized to his face in rather plain but truthful terms, and he flew at one of his assailants; there seemed for the moment some danger of a disturbance in the grounds, and a suggestion was started by some, of dipping the manager in the lake, but the majority of the company were too respectable to proceed to such an extremity, and the threat was not carried into effect.
The band prizes were awarded as follows: - First prize, Mr. Jackson's band; second, the Sudbury hand; third, the Sawston band; and fourth, the Colchester band.
In the evening there was a display of fireworks, and it is somewhat surprising, and no slight mark of the good temper of the Ipswich audience, that there was an attendance of probably not less than 5,000 persons. The band which had won the first prize in the afternoon was again present.
There is no doubt the whole affair would have been a great success, if all the bands named had attended; but there is no season to believe that half the numbers ever engaged to attend. It is a matter of some regret that the Committee of the Arboretum did not take more pains to ascertain the character of the parties who were thus permitted to come before the public under false pretences.