Report on Scottish Brass Band Championships

An exciting weekend of banding has come to a close in Perth with Scotland lining up its ten representatives for the National Brass Band Championships later in the year.

The seemingly annual tug-of-war between Scotland’s two top-rated bands continued unabated when the Championship Section title was regained by Whitburn Band, the eighth consecutive year it has been passed from Whitburn to the Co-operative Funeralcare Band and back again. It is now ten years since anyone (Kirkintilloch 2007) managed to wrestle the title away from the ‘big two’.

Whitburn’s 19th Championship win also resulted in Musical Director (MD) Professor Nicholas Childs not only securing a 2017 ‘Area’ treble following wins with Foden’s (North West) and Black Dyke (Yorkshire), but also becoming the most decorated conductor in UK Championship Section history, securing his 31st victory. Professor Childs has also drawn alongside Major Peter Parkes in collecting his eighth Scottish Championship Section title.

Whitburn’s rendition of Herbert Howells’ Pageantry left the adjudication panel of Mike Kilroy and Chris Wormald in no doubt as to the destination of the Hannaford Jubilee Trophy in awarding Whitburn a three point margin of victory over its great rival Co-operative Funeralcare. The ‘Co-op’, in turn, was four points clear of 3rd placed Bo’ness and Carriden which, under MD David Thornton, made a remarkable return to the top flight with an immediate podium appearance.

Delighted at Whitburn’s latest success, Band President David Kinross commented: “We are obviously delighted to win our 19th title - it is bizarre how we seem to be passing the trophy back and forth with the Co-op but I just think it goes to show how closely fought our healthy rivalry has become. I would like to emphasise how honoured we are to be involved in Nick’s historic achievements. With his 31st Championship Section win, he has surpassed Major Peter Parkes, another conductor who is firmly embedded in the history of Whitburn Band. The players have worked tremendously hard for this and should be extremely proud of their achievement. I am sure I speak for both Co-operative Funeralcare and Whitburn when I say that we will both be doing our utmost to succeed when we get to the Royal Albert Hall in October.”

In the 1st Section, Newtongrange Silver continued its own trend of bouncing straight back up to the top flight following relegation as, for the third time in a row, the Midlothian outfit topped the table in the second tier and makes yet another trip to Cheltenham where it might well have a chance of achieving even better than the 4th place (2015) and 7th place (2013) it secured on its last two visits. Joining ‘Nittin’ at September’s National Finals will be a Bathgate Band which, under the guidance of MD Anne Crookston, has improved incrementally recently, following up a 5th place in 2015 and a 3rd place last year with a seat at the top table, in what will be its first appearance in the Championship Section since 2005.

Co-adjudicator Brett Baker was fulsome in his praise for the two qualifiers and their respective conductors’ interpretations of Philip Sparke’s Land of the Long White Cloud.

Michael Robertson guided Arbroath Instrumental to the 2nd Section title, its performance of Dean Goffin’s Rhapsody in Brass stealing the show from a ‘last-band’ draw, knocking early leader Dalkeith and Monktonhall (Jim Chamberlain) into the runner-up spot. Both bands will travel to the National Finals hopeful of better outcomes than they have enjoyed on previous visits but with a confidence that they have relatively recent experience of what is required.

Irvine and Dreghorn will be flying the flag for Ayrshire come September as a result of its decisive win in the 3rd Section on Saturday. Helen Douthwaite-Teasdale led Irvine to a four-point victory over nearest challenger St. David’s Brass (John A. Dickson), bouncing straight back up to the 2nd Section and returning to Cheltenham for the second time in two years. St. David’s Brass had set the standard from a number one draw, even more creditable given the fact that they played to a near-empty Saturday morning Perth Concert Hall. Again, both bands have appeared at Cheltenham recently so they will know what to expect. The 3rd Section test-piece Dan Price’s Darkwood, as with all the test-pieces this year, has been well-received by the competing bands.

A healthy 13 bands took part in Sunday morning’s keenly fought 4th Section contest which saw an historic victory for Dysart Colliery, Ross Brotherston conducting the Fife band to its first Scottish title since 1921! We are pretty safe in the knowledge that no-one is still around from the last success so it may be a new, exciting experience for some as the band looks forward to an exciting year ahead. As it continues its rise from the ashes, the recently reformed Newmains and District also secured promotion under MD Michael Marzella and will join Dysart at Cheltenham, with both bands having successfully negotiated their way around the various strands of Alan Fernie’s St. Andrew’s Variations.

For many in and around Perth Concert Hall at the weekend, the highlight was the appearance, for the second year in a row, of non-competing Section 4B bands, Granite City Community Brass, Leadhills and Coalburn Intermediate, each of which put on superb short entertainment programmes to a healthy, receptive audience. Giving feedback to each band was Lynda Nicholson who, in her remarks, congratulated all three bands and, specifically, their Musical Directors, for the standard of their performances and appropriate choice of repertoire. Lynda also lauded the Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA) for the initiative shown in including the 4b Section in the weekend’s events.

The adjudication panel, all of whom stressed how welcome they had been made to feel over the course of the weekend, included in its number two of the modern day outstanding brass soloists in the UK in Brett Baker and Sheona White. Over the weekend, both Brett and Sheona were involved in masterclasses showcasing their respective instruments, the trombone and tenor horn. Although not attended by as many as had been hoped, there is no doubt that those who did take advantage would have left either session much the wiser.