Coalburn family in awards celebration

Saturday, 18 February saw the Coalburn brass band family come together for its annual awards evening, celebrating what has been an incredible year for the organisation.

Over 100 band members, supporters and family attended the event, held at Hollandbush Golf Club, and the bands were delighted to welcome Carrie Boax, President of the Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA), to present the awards.

Band President Alan Court commented; “It was a wonderful night of celebration for the organisation and we look forward with much anticipation to the forthcoming year where, in addition to a full diary of events, we are looking forward to our trip to Oostende, Belgium to represent Scotland in the European Brass Band Championships in April.”

The award winners on the evening were as follows:

Coalburn Bronze Band (Children’s Band) - Musical Director: David Fehily

Best Section: Horn section, Rory Hunter (10 years old), Eilidh Court (12), Georgia Brown (12) and Sarah Brown (10)

George Blackwood Memorial Trophy (Most Improved Player): Harry Cowan (12)

Band Person of the Year: Finlay Damer, percussionist

Children’s Choice Award: Beth Damer (15)

Coalburn Intermediate Band - Musical Director: Jayne Brownlie

Most Improved Player: Jack Archibald, euphonium

Player of the Year: Ross Lyttle, tenor horn

Players’ Player of the Year: Ross Lyttle, tenor horn

Coalburn Percussion Academy - Tutor: Gordon Miller

Most Improved Player: George Anderson (8)

Coalburn Silver Band - Musical Director: Gareth Bowman

Conductor’s Prize: Megan McGaghey

Section of the Year: Trombone section - Elizabeth Meikle, Anna Biggart and David Fehilly

Band Person of the Year: Daniel Beadle

Player of the Year: Calum Miller, flugel horn

The Coalburn bands have a busy schedule ahead starting with their concert on Thursday, 2 March at Woodpark Primary School, Lesmahagow. Doors open at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start where spectators can pay £5.00 entry fee on the door.

Thereafter, both the Silver (1st Section) and Intermediate (Section 4B) bands will head to Perth for the Scottish Championships in March, before the Silver Band’s momentous trip to Belgium to compete in the Challenge Section of the European Brass Band Championships.

With fundraising for Oostende a priority for the band, Alan Court also announced: “The band is also delighted to announce the return of their popular quiz night which will take place on Friday 24 March at St. John’s Parish Hall, Blackwood. Entry is £3.00 per person while each time has a maximum of 6 people. The quiz is a fundraiser for the European Championships. The organisation warmly welcomes anyone with an interest to come along to any of our rehearsals or performances, for further information please visit www.coalburnsilverband.co.uk.”