Sunday School Jubilee Sing [1852]

Sunday School Jubilee at Halifax.

The fourth commemoration of the Halifax Sunday School Jubilee took place at the Piece Hall on Tuesday last. Perhaps there is not another building in England so well calculated for such a display as the Piece Hall. The demand for tickets was immense and even a large temporary gallery was not enough and thousands of visitors filled the neighbouring streets, with many more at the top of Beacon Hill. Perhaps the most interesting incident connected with the entry of the scholars was the arrival of children from the Union Workhouse in their humble but remarkably neat attire 'God less them' was uttered as the little unfortunates passed along the walks, and when opposite the children from South Parade School who had previously had a number of oranges distributed among them, they voluntarily presented each child with the gift they had just received. A total of 20,751 teachers and children attended. The band consisted of 505 performers ie.

Cornets 90 Cornets Tenor 15 Trombones Alto 27 Trombones Tenor 25 Trombones Bass 38 Trumpets 23 Ophicleides 74 French horns 13 Saxe horns 33 Do Tenor 8 Do Bass 7 Baritones 3 Serpents 3 Bassoons 2 Double basses 8 Double drums 18 Snare drums 18 Flutes 43 Clarionettes 50 Hautboys 2 Cymbals 5     Total instruments 505

Perhaps there is not another town in Yorkshire which can boast of some many excellent bands from 2nd West Yorkshire Cavalry, Talbot, Woodside, Copley, Bramley Lane, Mixenden, New Pellon, Northowram, King Cross, Stainland, Blackley, Stannary, Heywood (Northowram), Cleckheaton, Brighouse (J. Pratts), Waterloo, Sowerby (Old), Ovenden, Luddenden, Clifton, Thornton and Shelf.

The number of persons in the spacious area of the hall (exclusive of spectators) included

• Teachers: 3,583
• Scholars: 17,168
• Instrumental performers: 505
• Vocal performers: 324

So perfect were the regulations that hardly a toe was trodden upon or a bonnet crushed