Tartan Brass At Whit Friday
Campbeltown Brass organised a scratch band of current players and ex-members of Campbeltown Brass to travel down to Yorkshire, to compete in the Whit Friday Marches around the Saddleworth area. The band also invited guests from other Scottish bands, including members from bands of the Scottish Co-op, Irvine and Dreghorn, Lochgelly, Jedforest, Kirkintilloch Kelvin and also members from the famous YBS band and Black Dyke Band. Together they were called "Tartan Brass" and were conducted by former Campbeltown Brass conductor, Gordon Evans MBE.
Tartan Brass played the Scottish march ‚Äö?Ñ??Moray Firth‚Äö?Ñ?? on the traditional road march to the contest ring, where they then played ‚Äö?Ñ??Punchinello‚Äö?Ñ?? for the adjudicator. They were the only Scottish band competing against 139 other bands round the circuit, with big name bands such as Brighouse and Rastrick, Fodens, Faireys and also many youth bands and scratch bands. They competed at 6 contests in total around the different villages, starting at 4.30pm and then finishing in Delph village, around 12.00am!!! At Delph, they were booked in band number 69, and had to play after Brighouse and Rastrick, then the local band, the Delph Band!! The atmosphere was electric and the band had a great response marching down the street and into the contest ring! Some members wore their kilts to keep the Scottish theme going, which got a good reception from the audience. Special thanks go to the bus driver, Jackie Morrison of West Coast Motors for navigating the unfamiliar roads of the Yorkshire Dales, enabling the band to compete at 6 villages.
With the band meeting together for the first time at the rehearsal on the Friday morning, they played extremely well together and finished 28th out of the 40 bands that were eligible for qualification of prizes, (bands that did 6 villages or more), from the record 139 bands competing in the Saddleworth circuit.
With the success of this trip and with all the new friends made, the band plan to return next year, for ‚Äö?Ñ??Tartan Brass on Tour 07‚Äö?Ñ??!!
For more news and pictures, please go to https://www.campbeltownbrass.co.uk
