| Format: | Own Choice Test Piece Contest |
|---|---|
| Adjudicators: | W. H. Stephenson , T. J. Taylor |
| Venue: | Stockton-on-Tees |
See
http://www.ibew.org.uk/misc4287.htm
Rural Sports and Band Contest - Westbourne House, Stockton-on-Tees
The first meeting of brass bands to contest for prizes at Stockton, came off in a field adjoining Westbourne House, on the Sedgefield road. The meeting was under the patronage of the Stockton Licensed Victuallers' Association, and was an immense success in a pecuniary sense. The weather was extraordinarily hot, and the rush to the only refreshment tent on the ground was continuous throughout the entire afternoon. In addition to the attraction offered by the brass bands, the promoters of the gala, for such it really was, arranged for an exhibition of canaries, mules, and linnets, and in a rather small tent at the entrance to the contest ground a very good show of the above-named class of birds might be seen. The many thousands of persons who visited the place also were enabled to find other amusements than listening to the band, eating buns, and drinking liquors, for around the field were to be found shooting galleries, Aunt Sallies, archery, fruit stalls, and ice cream stands, and each of the several stall keepers seemed to have a good day's work of it.
The entries were as follows: The Felling Chemical Works Band (24 performers) leader, Mr. John Clemetson, conductor, Mr. T. Woods; the Durham Artillery Volunteer Band, West Hartlepool (22 performers) leader Mr. William Hogg, conductor, Mr. Thomas Hogg; Rothwell (near Leeds) Band (14 performers) leader, Mark Fowler; 1st Durham Rifle Volunteer Band, Stockton (18 performers) leader, Mr. B. Broadbent; Elland Victoria Band (22 performers) conductor, Mr. John Crossley; Stockton Malleable and Rail Mill Band (18 performers) conductor, Mr. John Cass. After the bands had each played a selection, a competition was entered into by cornet playing artistes, the prize, a handsome cornet, value £10 10s, to be awarded to the best solo cornet player. For this contest there were no less than nine entered, namely, Messrs. E. Harrison, West Hartlepool; W. Hogg, West Hartlepool; Monk, of Elland Victoria Band; M. Bearer, J. Smith, Felling Chemical Works; B. Broadbent, R.V. Band, Stockton; T. Hogg, West Hartlepool; H. Milburn, Middlesbrough; and T. Lester, Middlesbrough. Then followed a prize of £2 2s, for a solo euphonium contest; and to this the entries were Messrs. T. Henderson, W. H. Smith, W. Hewitt (Stockton), G. Duxbury (Darwin Temperance Band), and G. Wiseman (West Hartlepool), Mr. W. H. Stephenson, late musical director, Royal Agricultural Hall, and Astley's Royal Amphitheatre, London, and Mr. T. Taylor, organist, of Middlesbrough, were the judges in the musical department, and their decisions appeared to give general satisfaction. After the brass bands had played a selection, two of the number, namely, the Rothwell Band and the Stockton Rifle Band, were struck out of the list, and the remaining four contested for the prizes, valued respectively £20, £12, £8, and £4 The following is the prize list:
BRASS BAND CONTEST: lst (£20), Durham Volunteer Artillery Band, West Hartlepool; 2nd (£12), Felling Chemical Works Band; 3rd (£8), Elland Victoria Band; 4th (£4), Stockton Malleable and Rail Mill Band.
CORNET SOLO CONTEST: Mr. John Crossley, conductor of the Elland Victoria Band. The judges highly commended the playing of Mr. Milburn, of Middlesbrough.
EUPHONIUM SOLO CONTEST: Mr. Geo. Wiseman, West Hartlepool. In the evening there was an al fresco ball. The judges were unable to give their decisions until a rather late hour, in consequence of the lengthy programme.