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.
1927
1st West Kerrier Agricultural Show
Nansloe, Helston
Monday 18th July 1927
Adjudicator: Fred Dimmock, of London
Open section test piece: Carmen No. 1 / Own choice march
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | St Dennis | C H Baker | |
2 | Penzance | G W Cave | |
Second section test piece: Carmen No. 1 / Own choice march
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Stenalees | G W Cave | |
2 | Penzance | G W Cave | |
Third section test piece: Operatic Beauties / Own choice hymn
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | St Just | ||
2 | Porthleven | C Orchard | |
3 | St Keverne | E J Williams | |
Specials:
solo cornet, horn and trombone: St Just
Euphonium: Porthleven
Report: (20 July 1927 – Cornishman)
1928
2nd West Kerrier Agricultural Show
Nansloe, Helston
Monday 23rd July 1928
Adjudicator: Fred Dimmock, of London
Open section test piece: Semiramide (Gioachino Rossini)
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | St Dennis | C H Baker | |
2 | Camborne | A W Parker | |
Hayle | John Tanner | ||
Open section march:
Placed | Points | |
1 | Camborne | |
2 | St Dennis | |
Hayle | ||
Second section test piece: L’Ebreo (Giuseppe Apolloni / Charles Godfrey)
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Stenalees | C H Baker | |
2 | Hayle | J Tanner | |
=3 | Carharrack | T Huggard | |
=3 | St Just Silver | G W Cave | |
Second section hymn:
Placed | Points | |
1 | Stenalees | |
2 | ???? | |
3 | St Just Silver | |
?? | Carharrack | |
?? | Hayle | |
Third section test piece: Recollections of Verdi (Giuseppe Verdi / William Rimmer)
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Greensplat | C H Baker | |
2 | St Ives | E J Williams | |
3 | Reduth | W T Floyd | |
Porthleven | C Orchard | ||
St Just Silver | George Cave | ||
Third section hymn:
Placed | Points | |
1 | Greensplat | |
2 | Reduth | |
3 | St Ives | |
Porthleven | ||
St Just Old Town | ||
Fourth section test piece: Casino Tanze (Joseph Gungl)
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Marazion | G W Cave | |
2 | St Keverne | J Martin | |
3 | St Just Old Town | E J Williams | |
Fourth section test hymn:
Placed | Points | |
1 | St Just Old Town | |
2 | Marazion | |
Gold medal for best soloist of the day was won by Mr. F.J. Roberts, solo cornet, Camborne.
Marazion Brass and Reed Band entered their first contest on Monday, when they competed at Helston in the band contest in connection with West Kerrier Agricultural Show, being well supported on the field by members of the committee… This year 14 bands competed as compared with about half that number last year. They were Redruth (conductor, Mr. J. Floyd); Camborne (conductor, Mr. W. W. Parker); St. Dennis (Mr. C. H. Baker); Hayle (Mr. J. Tanner); St. Just Silver (Mr. G. W. Cave); Carharrack (Mr. T. Huggard); Stenalees (Mr. J. M. Menear); Porthleven (Mr. C. Orchard); St. Ives (Mr. E. J. Williams); Greensplat (Mr. C. H. Baker); St. Keverne (Mr. J. Martin); Breage (Mr. H. Young); St. Just Old Town (Mr. E. J. Williams); and Marazion (Mr. F. W. Cave). Some disappointment was felt at the fact that the shield (presented by Sir Edward Nicholl) for the best band section was unable to be presented as the work on it has not yet been completed. It will, however, be presented in due course. (26 July 1928 – Cornishman)
1929
3rd West Kerrier Agricultural Show
Nansloe, Helston
22nd July 1929
Adjudicators: Mr C A Cooper, Huthwaite, Notts., and Mr T Eastwood, of Huddersfield.
Open section test piece: Labour and Love (Percy Fletcher)
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Camborne | A W Parker | |
2 | Stenalees | V Adamson | |
3 | St Dennis | C H Baker | |
4 | Falmouth Town | C Chainey | |
Open Section march: Own choice
Placed | Points | |
1 | Camborne Town | |
2 | Stenalees Silver | |
3 | St Dennis Silver | |
4 | Falmouth Town | |
Cornet: R Uren, Camborne
Horn: L Hocking, Camborne
Trombone: John Berryman, Camborne
Euphonium: J Thomas, Camborne
Best soloist: John Berryman, Camborne (trombone)
Third section test piece: Souvenir of the Opera
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Greensplat | C H Baker | |
2 | Falmouth Town | T J Chainey | |
3 | St Just | ||
Third section hymn: own choice
Placed | Points | |
1 | Greensplat | |
Fourth section test piece:
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Porthleven | William Roberts | |
2 | Camborne Juniors (Right Away) | Jack Eustace | |
3 | St Erth | F Pye | |
4 | St Keverne | John Martin | |
Fourth section hymn:
Placed | Points | |
1 | St Erth | |
2 | Porthleven | |
3 | Camborne Juniors | |
4 | St Keverne | |
Gold medal for best solos: J. Berryman (Camborne Town).
Report: (Cornishman – Thursday 25 July 1929)
Fifteen bands competed.
1930
4th West Kerrier Agricultural Show
21st July 1930
Adjudicator:
Open section test piece:
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | St Dennis | ||
2 | Falmouth Town | ||
3 | St Austell | ||
4 | Truro | George Cave | |
Third section test piece:
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | St Austell | ||
2 | Falmouth Town | ||
3 | Truro | George Cave | |
Fourth section test piece: Spirit of Youth
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Camborne Junior | Jack Eustace | |
2 | Gweek | ||
3 | St Keverne | ||
Fourth section test hymn:
Placed | Points | |
1 | Camborne Juniors | |
Other competitors were Redruth, Helston, Illogan, St. Ives, Truro, and Polhigey (Cornishman – Thursday 24 July 1930)
1931
5th West Kerrier Agricultural Show
27th July 1931
Adjudicator: G H Mercer, Sheffield
It was resolved, at the general meeting of members of West Kerrier Agricultural Society at Helston, Monday, not to hold an agricultural show this year, because of the heavy financial loss sustained last year, but to continue to hold the band contest.
Open section test piece:
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | St Dennis | ||
2 | Penzance | ||
3 | Truro | ||
4 | Falmouth | ||
Open section march:
Placed | Points | |
1 | St Dennis | |
2 | Penzance | |
Truro | ||
Falmouth Town | ||
Second section test piece:
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Falmouth | ||
2 | Truro | ||
3 | Penzance | ||
4 | Porthleven | ||
Second section march:
Placed | Points | |
1 | Falmouth | |
2 | Truro | |
3 | Penzance | |
4 | Porthleven | |
Third section test piece: In Old Vienna
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Camborne Juniors | Jack Eustace | |
2 | Gweek | ||
3 | St Erth | ||
4 | Marazion Town | ||
Third section march:
Placed | Points | |
1 | Camborne Junior | |
2 | Gweek | |
3 | St Erth Silver | |
4 | Marazion Town | |
Report: (Cornishman – Thursday 30 July 1931)
1932
6th West Kerrier Agricultural Show
23rd April 1932
Adjudicator: George H Mercer
Open section test piece: Il Bravo (Saverio Mercadante)
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Camborne | 98 | |
2 | Falmouth | 93 | |
3 | Penzance | J Probert | 90 |
4 | Truro | George Cave | |
Open section test march:
Placed | Points | |
1 | Falmouth | |
2 | Penzance | |
3 | Camborne Town | |
4 | Truro | |
Second section test piece: Gems of Melody (Franz Liszt)
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | Penzance | J Probert | |
2 | Falmouth | ||
3 | St Ives | ||
=4 | Newquay | W E Moyle | |
=4 | Truro | George Cave | |
Second section march: Own choice
Placed | Points | |
1 | Penzance | |
2 | Falmouth | |
St Ives | ||
Newquay | ||
Truro | ||
Third section test piece: A Village Pastorel (James Ord Hume)
Placed | Conductor | Points | |
1 | St Erth | ||
2 | Camborne Juniors | ||
3 | Gweek | ||
4 | St Stythians | Tom Hubbard | |
Third section hymn: Own choice
Placed | Points | |
1 | Camborne Juniors | |
2 | St Stythians | |
Gweek | ||
St Erth | ||
Report: 28 April 1932 – Cornishman)
Compiled by Tony Mansell (Bardh Kernow)