The Impresario of Hull

I thought that the job title of “Events Organiser” was a modern one. 

At face value it sounds like a non-job or at least not the sort of thing that you could build a career on. Equally it seems to be a sort of first world only requirement as in someone who has seen a gap in the market to provide activities to relieve the wealthy and idle of their cash. 

However, in my recent research into the 157^th birthday of my local urban greenspace, Pearson Park in Hull, Yorkshire, UK it appears that flair and impresario skills were highly valued back in 1860’s Victorian England. 

The inauguration ceremony for the Park was intended to be as much a statement of an up and coming City as the gifting of the land by its then Lord Mayor Zachariah Pearson and the best person to plan and manage the celebration was Mr John Enderby Jackson. 

Hull born, Enderby Jackson is reputed to have come from the South Sea Whaling Enderby’s and with their lineage reported as including the mother of the military campaigner, General Gordon. 

Brought up in the Port and Maritime City of Hull , Enderby Jackson was a highly proficient musician and specialised in the working class pastime of brass banding.

In 1855 Mr. Enderby Jackson commenced a series of contests in the Zoological Gardens at Hull, and organised and carried out successfully many contests in various parts of the country. 

He threw great energy into his work, and did much to stimulate the growth of contests amongst brass bands and it was under his direction that the great contests held at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, in 1860, 1861, and 1862, were organised and carried to a successful issue. 

It was his renowned efforts in 1860 that brought about his prestigious appointment in his home town in that same year.

This particular trio of years were looked upon as a landmark in the history of brass band contests drawing together from all parts of the country the best bands that existed. 

In a gala type performance whilst awaiting the deliberation of the judges over the group stages of the competition the combined bands formed what is believed to be the largest collection of musicians in this speciality on record in English history. 

The ensemble, or rather massed ranks, consisted of 1390 performers, and they were arranged in rows according to their instruments. 

It comprised 144 soprano cornets, 184 first cornets , 210 second row cornets, 83 E flat althorns, 71 D flat althorns primo, 51 D flat althorns secundo, 100 B flat baritones, 74 tenor trombones, 75 bass trombones, 80 euphoniums, 133 ophicleides, 155 E flat contre-basses, 2 B flat contrebasses, 26 side drums, monster gong drum, and the great organ. 

This cacophony of instrumentalists was conducted by Mr. Enderby Jackson himself. 

The entourage gave rousing renditions of such iconic numbers as "Rule Britannia," "Handels Hallelujah", "Wedding March" by Mendelssohn, "The Heavens are telling " (Haydn), and "God Save the Queen in honour of the residing monarch, Victoria.

A report in theTimes newspaper acclaimed that: 

"The effect of the combined legions of 'blowers' was tremendous. The organ, which accompanied them, and which on less exceptional occasions is apt to drown everything, was scarcely audible in the midst of the brazen tempest. 

Nothing less than the new "monstre gong-drum" manufactured by Mr. Henry Distin - to wield the thunder of which required the united efforts of Messrs. Charles Thompson, of the Crystal Palace Band, and Middleditch, of the London Rifle Brigade - could prevail against it. 

The pieces that pleased the most (perhaps because the best executed) were Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" and the National Anthem, both of which were unanimously encored "

At the close of the performance the twelve selected bands engaged in the final contest before the eminent judges. These bands, shown in their respective final placings in the competition were; 

The Black Dike Mills Band, conducted by Mr. S. Longbottom; 

Saltaire Band, Mr. Richard Smith; 

Cyfarthfa Band, Mr. R. Livesey 

Darlington Saxhorn Band, Mr. H. Hoggett; 

Dewsbury Band, Mr. J. Peel; 

Deighton Mills Band, Mr. P. Robinson; 

Witney Band, Mr. J. Crawford; 

Stanhope Band, Mr. R. de Lacy; 

Chesterfield Band, Mr. H. Slack; 

Staleybridge Band, Mr. J. Melling; 

Accrington Band, Mr. R. Barnes; and 

Holmfirth Temperance Band, Mr. W. Roberts. 

Many of these names still continue to perform to the present day or if they have fallen by the wayside remain enshrined in the annals of Brass Band legend.

Perhaps the greatest endorsement of the panache and organisational aptitude of Enderby Jackson came in the same Times Report

"The whole performance was conducted with wonderful vigour and precision by Mr. Enderby Jackson, of Hull, a sort of "Delaporte" in his way, who has exerted himself in forwarding the brass band movement among the mechanics, artisans, petty tradesmen, manufacturers, and labourers of the northern and midland counties with almost as much energy and unremitting zeal as M. Delaporte the Orpheonist movement in the provinces of France."