Bandstand In Lister Park - Bradford, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 48.783 W 001° 46.379
30U E 580788 N 5963420
This eight sided band stand was built in 1908 and stands at the rear of Cartwright Art Gallery in Lister Park.
Waymark Code: WMHRWK
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/10/2013
Views: 2
Lister park was originally the grounds of a large house owned by Samuel Cunliffe-Lister, a local successful mill owner. After he moved to a village called Masham, and built an even larger house, he sold the grounds cheaply to Bradford Council on condition that it became a public park.
It has many outstanding features including; a boating lake, tennis courts, play areas, inspiring Mughal Water gardens and an art gallery.
In an era before radio and TV broadcasts being able to listen to live music was extremely popular. Many public parks had band stands and performances by brass bands and the like were extremely popular.
This particular band stand has is made of stone and each of the eight corners has an relief carving of a laurel wreath and the name of a classical composer inscribed above it.
The eight composers are BALFE, VERDI, GOUNOD, SULLIVAN, BEETHOVEN, TSCCHAIKOVSKY, WAGNER and GRIEG. The two English composers Sullivan and Balfe are positioned on each side of the bandstands entrance gate.
These days the bandstand is still used for a few weekend performances in the summer.
A nearby information board has the following information about the bandstand.
Bandstand:
This bandstand was built in 1908 at a cost of £644. There was
once terraced seating which led up the bank towards the
Bowling greens. These terraces were in past times packed
with people listening to the popular bands of the time.
As an interesting aside here, a sum of £600 was spent on
bands in the first year of the bandstand - an amount almost
equalling the construction cost.
This gives some idea of the popularity of this particular
feature, and furthermore the prosperity of Bradford at that
time