The Greensboro Band

​Best in a Close Competition
 
In the 1890’s, the people of Greensboro were inclined to invent their own entertainment.  A group of musically inclined men formed the Greensboro Brass Band. They gained the reputation of being the best amateur band in the State under the direction of Professor Holt of Augusta who agreed to serve as their teacher. To prove that their fame was more than the product of their own imaginations, the band arranged a contest with the nearby Social Circle Coronet Band for the annual Greensboro Fair.
 
Early one bright sunny morning, the cannon boomed and the Greensboro Brass Band led a parade of residents and visitors to the Fair Grounds, located in the northwestern part of the city. At noon it was announced that a thirty-dollar silver cornet would be awarded to the band with the best performance. Three musical selections were presented by each group and the executions were said to be very fine.
 
At the end of the competition, the marks of the Judges stood at Greensboro Band 120 1/2 points and Social Circle 120 points, and so the Greensboro Brass Band carried the day.  Unfortunately, the names of the Judges have not survived the telling of this tale.