UBIQUITOUS AMBASSADORS
KNOTTINGLEY SILVER BAND
by TERRY SPENCER B.A. (Hons), Ph D.
CHAPTER TWO
CONTENTS | PAGE ONE |
PAGE TWO |
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THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY: 1901 - 1920
PAGE ONE
At what date the ‘Town Band’ became known as ‘Knottingley Silver Prize
Band’ is uncertain. As late as August 1902, in an action that echoed the
occasion when the Band welcomed George Knapton in 1875, the ensemble
welcomed Trooper W. Walker home from the Boer War. Walker, who had been
serving with the Yorkshire Hussars, was carried in a wagonette through the
town in a procession led by the Knottingley Brass Band. It is therefore
apparent that the name of the Band was unchanged at that date. (1)
The last known reference to the old title occurs in a newspaper report of
a concert held at the Banks Garth cricket field in July 1903, (2) but while
the earliest extant formal documentation concerning the Band is a somewhat
fragmentary collection of minutes covering the period from May 1904 to
November 1912, this source offers no direct information concerning the
change of title nor the circumstances which inspired the change. (3)
However, an inscription on the inside front cover of the book seemingly
indicates its continuation from a previous volume, since lost, and bears the
title ‘Knottingley Silver Prize Band, 1904’.
The sparse evidence therefore suggests that the Band was renamed in the
latter half of 1903, presumably in the wake of a prestigious contest victory
of such significance that it was considered worthy of incorporation into the
Band’s title. Unfortunately, a thorough search of all known data has failed
to reveal any information concerning such an event, suggesting that the
changed title was, perhaps, merely aspirational. Such conjecture is far from
fanciful for the advent of a new century appears to have prompted appraisal
of the future course to be taken by the Band in which refurbishment of the
public image of the ensemble was the immediate manifestation. To this end,
in September 1902, the Band was reported to be in need of assistance and had
appealed to Knottingley Urban District Council for financial aid. (4) The
reason for seeking financial help is uncertain. One source states new
instruments were required while a second source states more specifically
that the need was for new uniforms costing £50 in order that “with their
new outfit the Band hope to make themselves a credit to the town.” (5)
The desire for change did not occur in isolation and should be viewed
within the context of developing national trends within the sphere of brass
band activity. By the close of the nineteenth century uniforms were becoming
fashionable and were being increasingly adopted by bands. At that time there
were more than half a dozen firms within the county of Yorkshire alone
specialising in tailoring for bands. Not unnaturally, in view of the pride
in the British Empire, conquered and maintained by armed power, band
uniforms tended to copy military style, a fashion clearly evident in the
earliest known photograph of Knottingley Band, dating from 1895.
Within a year or two of that date, the Huddersfield outfitter, John
Beever, was offering band uniforms in two qualities of cloth, epauletted,
cuffed, frogged, flashed and buttoned, at 18s or £1-10-0 each. Caps,
ornamented in gold or silver in the style of the Brigade of Guards or of
naval design, were 4s 6d and 6s 6d respectively. Great coats at 13s and
shoes at 8s or 10s per pair were optional extras. (6)
When Henry Iles promoted the first National Brass Band Contest at the
Crystal Palace in 1900 all players in the 29 competing bands were required
to wear uniforms. (7) In accordance with the developing trend the adoption
of uniforms by bands with ambition became less of a fashion statement and
more a practical necessity. Therefore, quite apart from the obvious attempt
to improve the public image of the Band and the desire not to be outshone by
the Glassworks band, or from the belief that a smart appearance would
bolster the self-esteem of the bandsmen and hopefully produce an added
dimension to their performance, particularly in contests, the move by the
Knottingley Band was promoted by awareness of developments in general.
Given the Band’s consistent record of charitable work in past decades the
request for funding was no doubt considered to be justified. Knottingley
Urban District Council, however, having become involved in a protracted and
costly dispute concerning the town drainage scheme and facing the expense of
refurbishing the Town Hall recently donated to the town by Mr. J.G. Lyon,
and mindful of other projections of substantial expenditure, felt unable to
assist the Band and the appeal was duly rejected, leaving the Band to ‘earn’
the requisite sum. (8)
An indication of the way in which money was raised is seen in a resolution
of May 1904, in which the Band Committee formulated a pro rata scale of
charges for submission to the organisers of the forthcoming demonstration
and sports at nearby Rawcliffe.
16 players 6 guineas
20 players 7 guineas
24 players 8 guineas. (9)
It is also of passing interest to note the increase in the size of
membership during the previous decade for the 1895 photograph of the Band
reveals only 14 people including the bandmaster. Whilst the growth in the
size of the Band was a positive factor increasing membership brought
logistical problems, not least in the provision of instruments. The problem
was circumvented where possible by making membership dependant upon the
ownership of an instrument (10) but conditional acceptance was rarely
possible and evidence exists of the creation of an instrument fund
subsidised by weekly contributions as early as 1905. (11) An indication of
the costs involved has been provided by Cooper who states that the average
price for cornets at this time was between £1-10-0 and £3-3-0, while the
best quality euphonium cost £4 and estimates that the cheapest rate for
which a small band of about 18 players could be equipped was about £50. (12)
A further means by which money was earned was through the provision of
concerts, both indoor and al fresco. As early as the 1870s such concerts
took place on an occasional basis and were to become more frequent during
the early decades of the twentieth century. At soirees, which often
continued until the early hours of the morning and on rare occasions all
night long, music was provided by a small ‘Orchestral Band’ consisting of
six members drawn from the full ensemble. (13) On such occasions the surplus
bandsmen, assisted by wives and other supporters, served refreshments and
undertook additional duties. (14)
The long established rapport between the Band and the town cricket club is
seen in a resolution of the Band Committee dated June 1905, that,
“The Band give [the] Cricketers a sacred concert in payment for use of
the field”, (15)
and on other occasions the profit from events held at the cricket field
was shared with the club. Thus, in July 1904,
“On Saturday evening last, Knottingley Brass Band paraded the town
followed by cyclists in fancy dress [which was] followed by a gala in the
cricket field with the proceeds shared between the Band and the Cricket Club.”
(16)
And again the following year when a cycle parade led through the town by
the Band was followed by a gala and sports at the cricket field at which
costume and other prizes were awarded. The Band played selections at
intervals between the races and a first aid demonstration by a team from the
town’s ambulance station, and concluded the evening by playing for dancing.
(17)
By 1903 a regular series of Sunday concerts was being held at the cricket
field. A report of that year refers to the ‘great success’, of one such
event, which drew an attendance of 1,500 people. Conducted by J.W. Stamp of
Castleford, “a fine programme was gone through and its execution
reflected credit on the band and its conductor.” (18)
Similarly, in 1904, the cricket field provided the venue for a further
season of sacred concerts. (19)
A concert given at Banks Garth one Sunday in June 1907, which drew “a
good attendance and a good gate collection”, provides a sample of the
musical fare provided by the Band. The concert opened with the march ‘Silver
Trumpets’ by Viviani and was followed by Rossini’s ‘Il Barbiere’. A cornet
solo ‘O Dry Those Tears’ by Riego, was followed by a selection from Herold’s
‘Pre-aux Cleres’. Next came a duet ‘Excelsior’ by Balfe and the concert
concluded with Rummer’s ‘John Of Gaunt’, all “ably accompanied” by the
conductor, Mr. S. Marshall. (20)
By 1908, however, the seasonal concerts were being held in Howards Field
where, under the baton of bandmaster Sammy Marshall, the opening programme
was undertaken. The programme consisted of the march ‘Nakorkus’, and air,
‘Variation’, and arrangement from ‘Veronica’ and selections of music by
Haydn and Sir Arthur Sullivan. (21) The ‘sacred’ concerts took place at
monthly intervals, a second one being held at the same venue in August that
year. (22)
The Band also undertook concert engagements further afield, such as that
given to, “a large and appreciative audience”, at Carleton near
Snaith, in June 1913, to boost the fund to enable the Band to participate in
the forthcoming regional and national band contests. (23) Again, in late
July 1914, the Band gave two performances at Hillam Hall, the grounds of
which had been placed at public disposal by Mr. H.L. Lyon, to enable the
Band to raise funds. (24) The Lyon family had business associations with
Knottingley and regularly engaged the Band to play on social occasions such
as the annual outings provided for their workers. In September 1916, for
instance, the Band, at the behest of Mr. C.G. Lyon, accompanied the
employees of Messrs Stainsby & Lyon, together with their families, on an
excursion to Whitley Lodge. The trip was undertaken by three barges which
made their way sedately along the Aire & Calder Canal with the Band playing
musical selections on each leg of the journey. (25)
A series of indoor concerts took place annually during the winter season
from 1906. The concerts, under the direction of bandmaster Sammy Marshall,
were held in Knottingley Town Hall and were very popular. On the occasion of
the inaugural concert of the second season held on the evening of Monday 7th
October 1907, a capacity audience listened to a programme consisting of a
selection from the opera ‘Il Travatore’ and music by Haydn. Samuel Marshall
gave a “fine tenor horn rendering” of an item entitled ‘Mea’ and
artistes of both sexes sang a considerable number of songs, serious and
comic, including one by Master Percy Turpin who reprised the sacred number
‘Angels Ever Bright and Fair’ for which he had recently been awarded first
prize at the Pontefract Music Festival. (26) The end of a long programme did
not, however, conclude the evening’s activity, for the Orchestral Band then
played music for dancing until 3.00am., not withstanding that the next day
was a normal working day for most of the participants. (27)
A public notice of March 1914, advertises
A GRAND CONCERT
of Sacred, Instrumental and Vocal Selections, promoted by the
KNOTTINGLEY SILVER PRIZE BAND
will be held in the
TOWN HALL, KNOTTINGLEY,
on SUNDAY NEXT, March 29th
MR TOM ROBERTS, the Yorkshire tenor,
MADAM E. HARRISON, Soprano
Admission: 9d, 6d, 3d. (28)
In scanning the list of Sunday engagements undertaken by the Band it is
interesting to note that in deference to public sensitivity concerning
Sabbath entertainment all events bear the appellation ‘sacred’. While the
changing nature of public attitude is discernable with regard to strict
observance of the Sabbath throughout the decades spanning the turn of the
twentieth century, the transformation was but gradual before 1914. Even when
the events of the Great War of 1914-18 produced disillusionment and the
erosion of faith which accelerated the transformation of socio-religious
observation, there remained a lingering element of the former attitude which
continued to decree what was regarded as suitable or unsuitable forms of
public entertainment for Sunday and which was only vanquished in the wake of
the Second World War.
Solomnity was not always the order of the day, however, for the Band was
engaged in many scenes of gaiety and in one instance at least circumstances
rendered the pre-planned gaiety singularly inappropriate. A public notice in
late July 1914, informed the local population of a gala event to be held at
the Banks Garth cricket field on the 4th August with music by the Silver
Prize band, the proceeds being shared by the Band and the cricket club. (30)
It is not known whether the declaration of war on the proposed date resulted
in the cancellation of the gala, probably not, for the public perception was
that the war would be short and glorious and in that expectation the social
life of the township continued as normal with the feast and allied events
such as the Dispensary Sunday demonstration taking place as usual. (31)
Terry Spencer 2006
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