Format:	Own Choice Test Piece Contest
Adjudicators:	Samuel Radcliffe
Venue:	Thornaby-on-Tees

Position	Band	Conductor	Music	Draw
1	Cleveland Steel Works	A. Blackburn	Rossini's Works (arranged Owen)	2
2	Eston Miners	Charles Henry Kay	Meyerbeer [unknown arranger]	1
3	Milburn's Model	Herbert Milburn	Zampa [unknown arranger]	5
4	Rise Carr Rolling Mills	W. H. Crowther	Zampa [unknown arranger]	4
	Thornaby Temperance	Unknown	L'Elisir d'Amore [unknown arranger]	3
	1st Durham Rifle Volunteer	Thomas Spence	La Favorita [arr. Godfrey] 1886	6

Prizes: £8, £5, £3, £2
March contest: divided between Eston Miners and Milburn's Model
Open to bands that had not won more than £12 in 1897.
6 bands competed