While having a sort out this week I found a late 1920`s highly decorated Higham Bb cornet which on closer inspection was found to be engraved with the details Won at the July 1929 Belle Vue contest. After a bit of research I found that the contest was won by the Brighouse and Rastrick Band playing Oliver Cromwell and conducted by Fred Berry. It doesn`t necessarily follow that the winning band received the cornet however the Brighouse archive shows that as well as winning the contest they also won a cornet, I therefore am nearly 100% certain that this is the very cornet.
Please see the details below taken from Brighouse`s web site
The Band’s first “big break” came in 1929 when, conducted by the legendary Fred Berry, they not only came first at the July Contest but went on to win the Belle Vue contest later that year as well, beating all of the “big bands” of the era. This was truly the start of B&R’s rise to fame, a rise that commenced some 48 years after they were founded in 1881 and a rise that has seen them at the very top of their game for some 84 years so far.
B&R went on to win the September Belle Vue contest again for three years running in 1932-33-34 conducted by their professional conductor, the great William Halliwell. As a result of winning the contest for three years in succession the Band won the Sunday Chronicle Cup outright and this is part of the Band’s archive collection today. Barred from competing in 1935 after completing the triple they returned in 1936, winning yet again. B&R in 1929
It is interesting that only one other band (Batley Old Band in 1890) had ever managed to win both the July Contest and the September Belle Vue Contests in the same year prior to B&R achieving this in 1929.
Records show that the Band was presented with a trophy for winning the July Contest which they held for a year and then had to return but also received several other items which they kept. Reading from the record books this included £20 in cash, a “trombone value 18 guineas”, a “cornet value 14 guineas” and a single medal made of silver and highly inscribed. The Band were also invited to perform on the “wireless” by the BBC and they received a £10 fee for agreeing to do this.
The Brighouse Echo records that ……”they arrived back home around midnight which militated against any widespread reception by the townspeople. However they were given a great congratulatory welcome at Crow Nest Park, Dewsbury on Sunday where they played to very large assemblies, in the afternoon and evening”.
Putting the instrument on Ebay later this week .
Please see the details below taken from Brighouse`s web site
The Band’s first “big break” came in 1929 when, conducted by the legendary Fred Berry, they not only came first at the July Contest but went on to win the Belle Vue contest later that year as well, beating all of the “big bands” of the era. This was truly the start of B&R’s rise to fame, a rise that commenced some 48 years after they were founded in 1881 and a rise that has seen them at the very top of their game for some 84 years so far.
B&R went on to win the September Belle Vue contest again for three years running in 1932-33-34 conducted by their professional conductor, the great William Halliwell. As a result of winning the contest for three years in succession the Band won the Sunday Chronicle Cup outright and this is part of the Band’s archive collection today. Barred from competing in 1935 after completing the triple they returned in 1936, winning yet again. B&R in 1929
It is interesting that only one other band (Batley Old Band in 1890) had ever managed to win both the July Contest and the September Belle Vue Contests in the same year prior to B&R achieving this in 1929.
Records show that the Band was presented with a trophy for winning the July Contest which they held for a year and then had to return but also received several other items which they kept. Reading from the record books this included £20 in cash, a “trombone value 18 guineas”, a “cornet value 14 guineas” and a single medal made of silver and highly inscribed. The Band were also invited to perform on the “wireless” by the BBC and they received a £10 fee for agreeing to do this.
The Brighouse Echo records that ……”they arrived back home around midnight which militated against any widespread reception by the townspeople. However they were given a great congratulatory welcome at Crow Nest Park, Dewsbury on Sunday where they played to very large assemblies, in the afternoon and evening”.
Putting the instrument on Ebay later this week .
