A splendid wind-up to Stanwick Feast was the county brass band contest, promoted by the members of the local band, which took place in the Park adjoining the Manor House, kindly lent for the occasion by Mr. T. Browning, on Saturday afternoon. The contest this year was made additionally interesting by the offer of a County Champion Silver Challenge Cup, for the best played selection, which will no doubt be the means of encouraging high-class music to an even greater extent by the bands of our county. The cup, which bears the county arms, will be given to the band which wins it three times—not necessarily in succession—”a fact that should induce bands, whether successful or not, to try again. There were three competitions—a quick-step, selection, and sight reading. The bands met at the Board School at one o'clock—all but one of the eight which had entered putting in an appearance:—Rushden National, Rushden Temperance, Northampton Temperance, Earls Barton Old, Kettering Rifles, Raunds Temperance, and Kettering Town, the absentee being Earls Barton Britannia. After drawing for the order of playing in the quick-step the bands marched in the following order to the Park: Raunds (to the air of "Worthington"), Earls Barton Old ("Three Dragoon Guards"), Kettering Town ("Le Bombardier"), Kettering Rifles ("Distant Greeting"), Rushden National and Rushden Temperance (both playing "Three Dragoon Guards"), and Northampton ("Palmer House"). The playing was certainly very good, and on reaching the Park each band was loudly applauded, a special ovation being accorded the Rushden bands. The music for the selection was the band's own choice, Kettering Town being the first to mount the stand, and they very nicely played through their conductor's (Mr. J. Gladney) own arrangement of "Stiffelio," although one or two slips in vital passages were noticeable. They were followed by the remainder of the bands as under: Northampton Temperance, A. Owen's arrangement of "Faust"; Rushden Temperance and the National both played "Stiffelio"; Earls Barton Old and Kettering Rifles both rendered "Lyric Garland"; and Raunds finished with "Romeo and Juliet." The various selections were followed with keen interest by the very large audience, which at one period must have numbered quite 4,000. Quite a novelty was the sight-reading contest. The music for the test was handed to the conductor of each band in the order balloted, and each band had to commence to play within six minutes of entering the enclosure. Rushden Temperance were the first to play, their piece being "Guards of Honour," then followed the Northampton Temperance with "The Eiffel Tower," Kettering Rifles"Dame Fortune's Smile," Kettering Town "Shoulder to Shoulder," Earls Barton Old "Con Amore," and Rushden National "The Rebels." Raunds did not enter the arena in this competition. The decisions of the judge (Mr. E. Swift, of Bank House View, Milnes Bridge, Huddersfield) were given at the close of the last contest, and on his emerging from the tent the audience made a rush for the band stand.

The following were his awards:-

Quick-step Contest
1	Rushden Temperance	(£1 10s.)
2	Rushden National	(£1.)
3	Kettering Rifles	(10s.)
Selection Contest
1	Rushden Temperance	(cup and £10.)
2	Rushden National	(£5.)
3	Kettering Rifles	(£4.)
4	Earls Barton Old	(£3.)
5	Kettering Town	(£2.)
6	Northampton Temperance	(£1.)
Sight-reading
1	Rushden National	(£4.)
2	Northampton Temperance	(£3.)
3	Rushden Temperance	(£2.)
4	Earls Barton Old	(£1.)

Referring to the most important of the competitions (the selection) the judge observed that the leading band was far and away the best of the competitors. One or two of the bands, he said, had chosen selections far too difficult for them, but on the whole they had acquitted themselves very creditably. The decisions of the adjudicator appeared to cause almost universal satisfaction amongst the spectators, the applause on the position of Rushden Temperance becoming known being most hearty.

Dancing was subsequently entered into to the strains of the Temperance Band, and amongst other attractions were a number of shows, shooting galleries, swings, &c. The arrangements for the contest were admirably carried out by the committee, consisting of the members of the band, with Mr. Christopher Clark (bandmaster) as a most energetic secretary, and Mr. J. Patrick (treasurer),who received the assistance of Messrs. H. Fuller, F. Patrick, and G. Smith. The promoters were successful in securing the patronage of the following: Lord Lilford, Lord Braye, Lord Burghley, M.P., Mr. F. A. Channing, M.P., Col. Sotheby, Mr. C. A. S. Wetenhall, Mr. P. Phipps, Mr. Percy Vernon, Mr. S. G. Stopford Sackville, Mr. J. K. Nicholls, Mr. D. Dulley, Mr. Campbell Praed, Mr. W. H. Pope, Mr. H. Sartoris, and others.

The following are the names of the members of the bands:—

EARLS BARTON OLD—Conductor, A. Owen. Solo cornets, J. K. Skinner, J. Dayton, T. Flowers, and F. Miller; repiano cornets, F. White and G. Cross; second cornets, F. Tebbutt and M. Line; third cornets, W. Harris and C. Knight; solo horn, C. Cross; first horn, J. Miller; second horn, F. Haynes; third horn, T. Mills; solo baritone, F. Goode; second baritone, W. White; solo trombone, A. Cook; second trombone, W. Bullock; bass trombone, E. White; solo euphonium, A. Dayton; E flat bass, A. White and H. Line; B flat bass, W. Sheppard; Bb flat bass, C. Mills and F. Riddle.

KETTERING TOWN—Conductor, Mr. J. Gladney. Soprano cornet, H. Hewlett; solo cornet, R. Ryan; first cornets, W. East, H. Feakin, and M. DeBank; repiano cornet, F. Tapp; second cornets, H. Slow and F. Dawkins; third cornets, W. Loasby and C. Winstone; solo tenor, Gr. Spriggs, T. Barlow, and H. Robinson; solo baritonje, A. Ambler and W. Ward; solo euphonium, W. Taffs; second euphonium, S. Roughton; solo trombone, A. Turner; second trombone, A. Faulkner; E flat bass, F. Panter; bombardon, E. Burnley and W. Cherry; B flat bass, A. Cherry; monstre bass, S. Manning.

KETTERING RIFLES—Conductor, Mr. A. Owen. Solo cornets, T. Seddon, S. Patrick, F. Tingle, and F. Harrison; soprano, W. Tingle; repiano, J. Smith; second cornets, R. Pearson and F. Evans; third cornet, H. Higgins and Robt. Pearson; solo tenor, J. Seddon; second tenor, H. Martin; third tenor, J. Farren; solo baritone, F. Driver; second baritone, E. Miller; solo euphonium, G. York; second euphonium, A. Berwick; solo trombone, T. Kelsley; second trombone, F. Wilford; bass trombone, F. Loasby; E flat bass, S. Evans and H. Bailey; B flat bass, T. Wilford; Bb flat bass, W. Morris.

RUSHDEN NATIONAL—Conductor, Mr. A. Owen. Soprano cornet, J. Pennis; solo cornet, G. J. Thacker and S. Hewlett; repiano, Q. Whitworth and F. Stapleton; second cornet, S. Randall and H. Hills; third cornet, E. Whitworth and H. Wilmott; solo tenor, F. James and J. Bailey; third tenor, J. Pratt; baritone, H. Bird and W. Bridgford; solo euphonium, W. Bird; solo trombone, H. Clayton; second trombone, J. Abbott; bass trombone, W. Pendered; second euphonium, B. Dickens; E flat bass, W. Carvell and G. Roddis; B flat bass, T. Fuller and G. Abbott.

RUSHDEN TEMPERANCE—Conductor, Mr. G. F. Birkenshaw. Soprano cornet, F. Bollard; cornets, H. Sharp, F. S. Knight, W. Knight, W. Lovell, C. Ashby, E. Richardson, G. Yeomans, A. White, and A. Parker; solo tenors, T. Robinson, J. Mackness, and W. Lockie; baritone, B. Smith, A. West; trombones, A. Abbott, D. W. Percival, and W. Robinson; euphonium, G. Groom; bass, J. Abbott, W. Wheatley, J. Mackness, and A. Fountain.

RAUNDS TEMPERANCE—Conductor, Mr. R. Ryan. Soprano cornet, A. Lawrence; first cornets, J. P. Hall and F. Judkins; repiano, W. Lack and E. Bailey; second cornet, A. Knighton and J. Pettitt; flugal horn, O. Pentelow; third cornet, H. Gaunt; solo tenor, G. Tickers; second tenor, A. Saunders; first horn, W. Pinner; second horn, F. Lack; solo baritone, G. O. Miller; second baritone, H. March; solo euphonium, J. Hall; solo trombone, A. Lawrence; second trombone, W. Reynolds; bass trombone, R. Annis; E flat bass, J. Annis and J. Haynes; Bb flat, F. Lack and S. Roughton.

NORTHAMPTON TEMPERANCE—Conductor, Mr. A. Owen. Soprano cornet, W. C. Clarke; first cornet, J. Hadley, J. Trolley, and W. Smith; repiano, J. Whitsey and G. England; second cornet, R. Thorneycroft; flugal horn, F. Swann and A. Dowey; third cornet, G. Braunson; solo tenor, G. Tomms; second tenor, W. Cook; third tenor, W. Knight; solo baritone, J. Frost; second baritone, W. Scott; solo euphonium, W. Hadley; second euphonium, L. Frost; first trombone, A. Beard; second trombone, G. Barker; bass trombone, J. Jones; E flat bombardon, A. Church and W. Shrives; B flat Bass, C. Shrives; monster bass, G. Judkins.