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Band Contest - Wednesbury
To the Editor of the Birmingham Daily Post - Sir, In your impression of to-day's Post I see you notice the brass band contest which took place at Wednesbury. It seems rather strange that the report does not say that the public were satisfied as regards the distribution of the prizes. I expected it would have done this; but it seems to me the party who wrote the said report thought the better plan would be not to venture anything on this head, but to keep in safe grounds, for fear of unpleasant replies. The awards, Mr. Editor, I can assure you, were given against all calculations. In fact, both myself and nearly every person on the grounds were perfectly astounded when the awards were made known; in fact, some, or I may say all, of the most noted bands of the district, well known to be first-class bands, and which from their playing, were put down for the first prizes by every person on the grounds, were thrown completely out, and the hands whom every one expected would not get prizes, got them. In fact, the best bands were either passed by unnoticed or the judges must have been asleep while they were playing; and so great is the disappointment that a great many people do not believe there was a judge on the grounds at all. In conclusion, allow me to state that I have been actively engaged in the musical profession for the last fourteen years, and that during the last four years have never had at any time less than eight bands under my instruction at one and the same time, which you must admit allows me something of a standing as regards judging the qualifications of the several bands there present; and I can assure you that I was never, in my experience of music, so much astonished as when the awards were made known. Hoping, Mr. Editor, that you will kindly insert this, as I am expected by numerous parties to write in answer to the report in your columns, I remain, yours truly, H. J. METCALFE, 96 Bilston Street, Wolverhampton.

To the Editor of the Birmingham Daily Post - Sir, As sergeant of one of the bands that was awarded a prize at the late contest at Wednesbury, I beg to state, in reply to Mr. H. J. Metcalfe's letter in the Daily Post of the 18th instant, that the band in which I played would not have objected to have taken the verdict of the majority of the musical profession of the ground, and they are satisfied the public were of opinion that they were entitled to a higher prize than they obtained. At the same time, they do not dispute the decision of the persons appointed as judges, knowing there is always a great difference of opinion in such matters. It is a poor and paltry argument that our and other bands are unknown, and therefore were not expected to beat the "most noted good bands" in the district - taught, no doubt, by Mr. Metcalfe. I must give him credit for one quality, at least, as a band instructor: he knows how to sound his own trumpet - Yours respectfully, BAND SERGEANT