Summercourt is a village in the civil parish of St Enoder, five miles southeast of Newquay
This is yet another band where we struggled to find the date of its formation. We do know that it existed in 1870 as a report in the Cornubian and Redruth Times of the 29th of April states: “At 3 o’clock the procession formed at the Wesleyan Chapel, and headed by the Summercourt Band, paraded the various streets, and then went to the Amphitheatre, when the members and several others partook of tea”.
1870: Summercourt Brass Band at the amphitheatre. (7 May 1870 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1880: Summercourt Brass Band marched to the Churchtown, thence to the Porth… (13 August 1880 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1890 or earlier and for many years: Tom Brenton Summercourt Band MD. (Ivan Rabey)
1890: The Summercourt Band and T Brenton, A Brokenshire, H Nancarrow, and D Trevarton played at intervals. (18 December 1890 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1892: Summercourt Brass Band perambulated. (2 June 1892 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
Summercourt Band 1892 (Photo: courtesy Dick Cole)
1894: Summercourt Brass Band in attendance. (26 July 1894 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1897: Summercourt Brass Band in a procession. (22 July 1897 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1902 to 1907: John Roach Summercourt Band MD. (BBHD)
1912: “… Selections were played during the afternoon by Summercourt Brass Band…”(6 June 1912 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1912: Summercourt Brass Band at Hugus Wesleyan Sunday School treat. (20 June 1912 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1912: Summercourt Brass Band at Rose Sunday School treat. (18 July 1912 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
Summercourt Band at the Lemon Wesleyan Band of Hope, Truro (Photo: courtesy Dick Cole)
Summercourt Band at Cubert tea treat 1911 (Photo: courtesy Dick Cole)
Summercourt Band circa 1911 (Photo: courtesy Dick Cole)
Back row: Orlando Brokenshire, Ernest Brokenshire, Albert Osborne, Will Burt
Middle row: Will Truscott, Russell Skinner, Wesley Juleff, Wesley Cole, Fred Halls
Front row: Jim Brokenshire, George Robins, Tom Brenton, Walford Trevarton, Chummy Luke
1912: Summercourt Band, under Mr Tom Brenton, paraded the village. (3 August 1912 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1914: Summercourt Band contesting. (Contest archive)
WWI: Summercourt Band “largely fell silent during the war”. (Trusting Fully Trusting by Dick Cole and Ann Reynolds)
1918 – 26th August: Ernest Brokenshire lost his life in the First World War. Prior to the war he was a cornet player in the Summercourt Band. (Trusting Fully Trusting by Dick Cole and Ann Reynolds)
1919 – July: Summercourt Band took part in the Peace Day celebrations and later appeared in “fancy costume”.(Trusting Fully Trusting by Dick Cole and Ann Reynolds)
1920: “The Summercourt Brass Band are now booking engagements for the coming season. A good programme of music for shows, treats, dances, etc. For prices apply …” (11 & 18 March 1920 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1920: Summercourt Brass Band at a Rechabite event on behalf of the Royal Cornwall Infirmary. (29 July 1920 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1920: Summercourt Brass Band at Mithian and Trevellas first annual horse show, races, sports, and carnival. (5 August 1920 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1923: The funeral of Mr. T. Brenton. of Summercourt at St Enoder Church. He was 62 years of age. He was for many years organist the Wesleyan Chapel, Summercourt, and bandmaster of the Summercourt Brass Band. The band played outside his residence just before the funeral. (7 June 1923 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
Summercourt Band 1925 (Photo: courtesy Dick Cole)
Back row: Norman Yelland, Albert Oborne, Niles Caddy, Harry Burt, Herbert Nancarrow, Bryce Currah
Middle row: Bill Lobb, Jack Yelland, Edgar Sparks, Jack Rawlings, R Crowle, Cyril Lobb, Gordon Trevarton
Front row: Albert Powell, Dick Cole, Tom Cole, Wesley Cole, Archie Hoskin, Enoder Gill, Chummy Luke
1927: Summercourt Brass Band in the parade in aid of Truro Infirmary. (29 June 1927 – Cornishman)
Contest appearances were rare for this band but the players did make the short trip to Stenalees to take part in the 7th Mid-Cornwall Bandsmen’s Festival in 1928. William Juleff conducted the band and it was unplaced in the fourth section. Reports of the band’s activities seem to cease around this time and it is possible that it disbanded. If that was the case then it managed to re-form a few years later and were active from 1938 to the 1950s with Bill Caddy as musical director.
Summercourt Band re-formed in 1938. (Photo: courtesy Dick Cole)
1938 to 1950s: Bill Caddy Summercourt Band MD. (Dick Cole)
Compiled by Tony Mansell (Bardh Kernow)
This collection is a part of the Cornish National Music Archive (CNMA) project to Collect, Preserve and Share our Cornish Heritage and Culture.
It is based on location as each may have had more than one band.
Our thanks go to all of the organisations and individuals, whether named or not, who have provided information and photographs for this archive.
If you own the copyright to any of the photographs included here then please let us know and they will be credited or removed.
If you are able to correct or update any information included here then please leave a comment.