This contest was held at Old Pound and has been recalled by that name by some. Seemingly, it was held for the two years following the Second World War.
On the 7th September 1946, A W Parker, musical director of Camborne Town Band, was the adjudicator and Stenalees was the winning band. There does not seem to have been a first section or perhaps it was that there were no entries.
The following year, on the 13th September 1947, it was Tom Eastwood in the box. Falmouth Town won the first section with St Austell in second place for the test piece, Les Preludes, with the positions reversed for the second piece.
Contesting
This contest was held at Old Pound and when seeking information we were met with the reaction, “Oh, you mean Old Pound Contest”. Seemingly, it was held for the two years following the Second World War but there may have been others that eluded the newspapers – or us!
1946
Mr A W Parker, Musical Director of Camborne Town Band, was the adjudicator on the 7th September 1946, and it seems that there was no first section. Either that or there were no entries.
The second section test piece was Emilia by Donizetti, arranged by Wm Rimmer and the results were:
| Placed | Conductor | ||
| 1 | Stenalees | Charles H Baker | |
| 2 | St Newlyn East | George Cave | |
| 3 | Truro City | E Cuttance | |
| 4 | Bodmin Town | W T Lobb | |
| Indian Queens | Ford Knight | ||
The second section march results were:
| Placed | ||
| 1 | St Newlyn East | |
| 2 | Stenalees | |
| 3 | Indian Queens | |
| 4 | Truro | |
| Bodmin Town | ||
The second section hymn results were:
| Placed | ||
| 1 | Indian Queens | |
| 2 | Stenalees | |
| 3 | St Newlyn East | |
| 4 | Truro | |
| Bodmin Town | ||
The third section test piece was Hereward by Michael Leuerent and the results were:
| Placed | Conductor | ||
| 1 | Mabe | J Thomas | |
| 2 | St Newlyn East | George Cave | |
| 3 | Plymouth Silver | Charles Welsh | |
| Penwithick | Harold Bennett | ||
| Porthleven Town | |||
The third section march results were:
| Placed | ||
| 1 | St Newlyn East | |
| 2 | Mabe | |
| 3 | Plymouth Silver | |
| 4 | Porthleven Town | |
| Penwithick | ||
The third section hymn results were:
| Placed | ||
| 1 | St Newlyn East | |
| 2 | Porthleven Town | |
| 3 | Mabe | |
| 4 | Penwithick | |
| Plymouth Silver | ||
1947
The following year, on the 13th September 1947, it was Tom Eastwood in the box and the Cornishman newspaper of the 18 September 1947 reported: “For their playing of the test piece in the third section at a band festival at Old Pound, near St. Austell, on Saturday, Porthleven Town Band secured second place, while they gained the premier award for their rendering of a hymn tune.”
One of the first section test pieces was Les Preludes arranged by Wm Rimmer and the results were:
| Placed | Conductor | ||
| 1 | Falmouth Town | A G Richards | |
| 2 | St Austell Town | Charles Harry Baker | |
The other first section test piece was Hymn to Music and the results were:
| Placed | ||
| 1 | St Austell Town | |
| 2 | Falmouth Town | |
The second section test piece was Recollections of Mendelssohn arranged by A J Greenwood and the results were:
| Placed | Conductor | ||
| 1 | St Newlyn East | W Bidgood | |
| 2 | Stenalees | Len Manhire | |
| 3 | Indian Queens | Ford Knight | |
| 4 | Foxhole | ||
The second section march results were:
| Placed | ||
| 1 | St Newlyn East | |
| 2 | Stenalees | |
| 3 | Indian Queens | |
| 4 | Foxhole | |
The third section test piece was Pride of the Forest and the results were:
| Placed | Conductor | ||
| 1 | St Pinnock Silver | F S Edmonds | |
| 2 | Porthleven | ||
The third section hymn results were:
| Placed | ||
| 1 | Porthleven | |
| 2 | St Pinnock Silver | |
Were there other contests we wonder? Perhaps you know and can enlighten us.
Compiled by Tony Mansell (Bardh Kernow)