Contesting
Not all bands enter competitions and there are some which shun the contest stage, preferring to concentrate their efforts in providing music for local events. For most players, though, contesting has always been an important part of brass banding, the reason that they spend so many hours trying to perfect their art. It provides them with the opportunity to test their musical skills against others and, of course, to bring home that silverware.
This section includes brass band contests which have taken place in Cornwall. I doubt that all are here, and there are certainly some results missing, but, over time, it is hoped that it will become a comprehensive record of all Cornish Contests.
1912
1st Contest
(Wadebridge Band)
Monday 8th April 1912
Adjudicator: J G Jubb
Test piece:
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | St Dennis Temperance | William Juleff | |
2 | Bugle | Samuel Minear | |
3 | Foxhole Temperance | John Morcom | |
4 | Liskeard | R J Honey | |
1913
2nd Contest
(Wadebridge Band)
Gonvena
10th March 1913
Adjudicator: James Brier
First section (bands not exceeding 24 players) test piece: Bohemian Girl / Own choice
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Camborne Town (Poliuto) | William Uren | |
2 | Redruth Town | R Wills | |
3 | St Austell Territorials (Territorial March) | Tom Morgan | |
4 | St Dennis Temperance (Emilia) | J G Jubb | |
Barry Docker’s Band | |||
Specials:
Cornet: Camborne Town
Euphonium: Camborne Town
Second section (bands not exceeding 16 players) test piece: Village Bride / Own choice
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Foxhole Temperance | ||
2 | St Agnes Town | ||
3 | Liskeard Temperance | ||
4 | Indian Queens | ||
Bugle Silver | |||
The second annual Wadebridge Contest took place on Monday the 10th March 1913; it was a fine day and approximately 3,000 people turned up to hear the 10 bands play in a field at Gonvena. There were two sections with five bands in each. The First Section test piece was The Bohemian Girl and was for bands of 24 performers, while the test piece for the Second Section was Village Bride and was restricted to bands of 16. Adjudicator J Brier was impressed with the playing and considered the bands in the Second Section to compare favourably with those from Lancashire and Yorkshire. Camborne (W Uren) came out on top and also collected soloist medals for euphonium and cornet. Redruth (R Wills) was second, St Austell Territorials (T Morgan) third, St Dennis Temperance (J G Jubb) fourth leaving Barry Dockers’ Prize Band from South Wales, out of the placings. Foxhole Temperance, St Agnes and Liskeard Temperance took the first three places in the Second Section leaving Indian Queens and Bugle unplaced.
Report: (Cornish Post 27th March 1913)
Report: (3 April 1913 – The Cornish Telegraph)
1914
3rd Contest
(Wadebridge Band)
Monday 13th April 1914
Adjudicator: James Brier of Bournville, Birmingham
First section (bands not exceeding 24 players)
Test piece: The Outlaw
Placed | Conductor | ||
1 | Camborne Town | Will Layman | |
2 | St Dennis Temperance | J E Fidler | |
3 | Barry Red Cross Silver | A J Hopwood | |
St Austell Territorial | R J Bennetts | ||
Specials:
Cornet: Barry Red Cross
Horn: Camborne
Trombone: Camborne
Second section (bands not exceeding 16 players)
Test piece: Sons of the Sea
Placed | Conductor | ||
1 | Foxhole Temperance | J Stubbs | |
2 | Bugle Silver | Edwin J Williams | |
3 | Stenalees Temperance | E J Fidler | |
St Agnes | Harry Robins | ||
Specials:
Cornet: Stenalees
Trombone: Bugle
Third section (bands who have never won a Points in sections 1 or 2)
Test piece: Sunny Memories (Rimmer)
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | St Newlyn East Ambulance | L Abrams | |
2 | Four Lanes Temperance | William Floyd | |
3 | St Columb Town | W H Webber | |
Camelford Town | John Males | ||
Treviscoe Brass | William Hambly | ||
Cardynham | S Carne | ||
Tre, Pol, Pen | J F Wills | ||
1920
4th Wadebridge Band Contest
(Wadebridge Band)
1920
Adjudicator:
Report not found
St Denis were placed 2nd and received the trombone and euphonium specials.
1921
5th Wadebridge Band Contest
(Wadebridge Band)
1921
Adjudicator:
Report not found
St Dennis placed 2nd.
1922
6th Wadebridge Band Contest
(Wadebridge Band)
In a Field at West Croft
17th April 1922
Adjudicator: Lieut James Ord Hume
First Section
Test piece: Songs of Old England
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | St Dennis Silver | Tom Valentine | |
2 | Mount Charles | Percy Hill | |
3 | Torquay Town Band | Charles Perring | |
Soprano: (Mount Charles)
Cornet: William Juleff (St Dennis)
Horn: C Snell (St Dennis)
Trombone: F Chapman (St Dennis)
Euphonium: Stanley Blight (St Dennis)
Second Section
Test piece: Classic Gems No. 2
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Bugle Silver | Edwin J Williams | |
2 | Stenalees Silver | Tom Eastwood | |
3 | Torquay Town Band | Charles Perring | |
4 | Foxhole Brass | John Morcom | |
Cornet: (Stenalees)
Trombone: E Wills (Bugle)
Euphonium E J Williams (Bugle)
Third Section
Test piece: The Dawn of Spring
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Bugle Silver | Edwin J Williams | |
2 | St Columb Town | W H Webber | |
3 | St Minver | J M Hinchcliffe | |
Cornet: John Kestle (Bugle)
Euphonium: E J Williams (Bugle)
1932
Wadebridge Band Contest
Monday 16th May 1932
Adjudicator: Frank Owen
Second section Test piece: Gems of Melody (Franz Liszt)
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Truro City | George Cave | 89 |
2 | Newquay Town | William Moyle | 84 |
3 | St Pinnock | Marsh Kessell | 78 |
Second section hymn:
Placed | Points | |
1 | Newquay Town | |
2 | St Pinnock | |
Third section test piece:
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | St Pinnock | Marsh Kessell | 86 |
2 | St Issey | Charles H Baker | 83 |
3 | Bodmin Town | W T Lobb | 75 |
Third section:
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | |||
2 | |||
3 | |||
Compiled by Tony Mansell (Bardh Kernow)