Format:	Other
Adjudicators:	Richard Smith
Venue:	Clarence Road, Hartlepool, County Durham, England, UK

Position	Band	Conductor	Draw
1	Felling	Thomas Woods	1
2	West Hartlepool (4th Durham Artillery)	Thomas Hogg	2
3	Whitworth	Thomas Woods	3

See
http://www.ibew.org.uk/misc4287.htm

Gala + Band Contest - West Hartlepool
The third annual band contest in West Hartlepool was appropriately supplemented by a cornet solo contest and a series of athletic sports. The fete was held in Messrs Wade and Sons' field in Clarence road, kindly lent by Mr J. P. Fea, manager, and suitable both as to situation and to the requirements of the Committee. That which should have proved the chief event - the band contest - scarcely maintained that position. Four prizes amounting in all to £53, were offered; yet three bands only put in an appearance, inclusive of the town band. A fourth band was prevented, we are informed, by the sudden indisposition of its leader. Hence, when the competing bands had performed their selections, public interest centred in the cornet solo contest, which really proved the next chief attraction. For this there were seven competitors. The bands played in the following order: Felling (18 performers), Mr T. Woods, of Newcastle, conductor ; Mr John Clemitson, leader, 1. Reminiscences of Donizetti, 2, Selection from Macbeth (Verdi). West Hartlepool (21 performers), Mr T. Hogg, conductor ; Mr Wm. Hogg, leader, 1, Reminiscences of Mozart; 2, Il Capuletti (Berlion). Whitworth (20 performers), Mr T. Woods, of Newcastle, conductor; Mr J. Raine, leader, 1, Reminiscences of Verdi; 2, Reminiscences of Donizetti. The best critique of the several performances is to be found in the remarks of the judge, Mr Richard Smith, of Hull, conductor of the band of the 1st East York Rifle Volunteers, and publisher of the Champion Brass Band Journal. Speaking of the contest as a whole, Felling and West Hartlepool had competed so closely that it was only after summing up very carefully that he was able to allocate them. He was indeed surprised to find such good bands in the north, and equally surprised that they never came against the famous bands of Yorkshire and Lancashire.
The judge awarded the first prize (£25) to Felling; the second (£15) to West Hartlepool; and the third (£8) to Whitworth. The competitors for the cornet solo contest, which was open to all, and the prize for which consisted of an eleven guinea silver-plated cornet (one of Besson's), appeared in the following order, and played the selections on which their names are coupled: 1. A selection from "Norma," by Mr Jonathan Burnett, of West Hartlepool; 2, Hartmann's "Alexis," by Mr Herbert Milburn, of Middlesbrough, the solo cornet at the Oxford Music Hall in that town; 3, Weber's "Last Waltz," by Mr T. Hogg. of West Hartlepool; 4, "Lodging on the cold, cold ground," by Mr Daniel Ramsey, of West Hartlepool; 5. Weber's "Last Waltz." by Mr J. Raine, of Spennymoor, who, by the way, omitted an important part of the selection; 6, Weber's "Last Waltz,' by Mr Newcombe Sydney, of West Hartlepool ; and 7, "Lodging on the cold, cold ground," by Mr Wm. Hogg, of West Hartlepool - each air being accompanied with variations more or less florid.
The judge awarded the prize in this contest to Mr Thomas Hogg, conductor of the 4th Durham Artillery Volunteer Band, and assigned Mr Sydney and Mr Ramsey to the second and third places.
Of Mr Hogg's playing the judge said that his style and quality of tone were very rich, the former being of a high order, and his phrasing being very correct, which carries no mean compliment. He also expressed himself as particularly pleased with his articulation, and his performances throughout he described as being of a first-class character.