Abstract
The July 1860 Crystal Palace Brass Band contest brought brass bands out of their heartlands to London in unprecedented numbers,The Times(12 July 1860, 9), lauding its success as ‘quite extraordinary’. This landmark event was repeated in three successive years, but in 1863 it was abruptly terminated, and no cogent explanation has been established for its failure. The entrepreneur organizing the contests, Enderby Jackson, later wrote in his autobiography that other business dealings prevented him from further involvement in the series. Jackson had made full use of his talents and contacts to bring these remarkable working-class musical ensembles to the emergent national attraction that was the Crystal Palace. However, Jackson's manipulation of publicity and managerial style obstruct easy analysis of the contests. Moreover, Jackson later sought to protect his legacy by conjuring a smokescreen in his memoirs to obscure the real reasons for the failure of the Crystal Palace contests after 1863.The entrepreneurial environment is never a stable one, and it should not be presumed that the accolades accorded to the opening contest would translate into its continuance on an annual basis. However, the fact that the contests were attended by many thousands of visitors each year and Jackson's assertion that they were a financial success stand in stark contrast to what is implied by their sudden end. This article demonstrates how close examination of previously unconsidered letters, surviving documentation, and other sources cast doubt on whether the contest series was ever an extraordinary success.
Highlights
The Crystal Palace Brass Band contest of 1860 was held at an early stage in the development of an all-brass ensemble, being described by Roy Newsome as ‘a major landmark in the history of brass bands’.1 The dimension that sets it apart from all previous brass band competitions is the scale of the event allied to the participation of bands from all regions of England and a contingent of brass bands from Wales
In consideration of the financial aspects of the brass band contests held at the Crystal Palace, it has been the practice of authors to rely on the figures presented by Jackson in his autobiography in which he details his expenditure.[37]
These contests clearly show the popularity across England and Wales of brass bands, which had only emerged as a distinct musical identity within the previous decade
Summary
The Crystal Palace Brass Band contest of 1860 was held at an early stage in the development of an all-brass ensemble, being described by Roy Newsome as ‘a major landmark in the history of brass bands’.1 The dimension that sets it apart from all previous brass band competitions is the scale of the event allied to the participation of bands from all regions of England and a contingent of brass bands from Wales. Cyril Bainbridge argued that the energies of the organizer, Enderby Jackson, were diverted in other directions; he became involved in other aspects of music theatre and large-scale events unconnected with brass bands from 1863 onwards.[4] It has been suggested that the opposition of the Board of Directors of the Crystal Palace Company to Jackson’s proposed international brass and vocal competition between Britain and France caused him dissatisfaction.[5] Third, sources have pointed to the trend of declining entries, most sharply witnessed in the fourth and final event held in 1863, as a reason for the ending of the series This decline in participation may have convinced the board that the event was not worth continued support. With reference to previously unexamined correspondence between Jackson and officials of the Crystal Palace Company, the article will challenge the presumption that the contests were ever a financial success in the first place, and will establish a conclusive reason for their demise
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