Duncan Given Keys To The Kingdom
Kingdom Brass is delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Duncan as the band_s new Musical Director with immediate effect.
Kingdom Brass Chairman, Bill Sandell, said of the signing _We are absolutely thrilled to be able to procure the services of such a prodigious talent as Andrew Duncan. We have been looking for some time for the right person to optimise the performance of the band and we believe that we have found that in Andrew. We look forward to a very long and mutually rewarding partnership_.
Andrew began his conducting career after leaving the HallÇ Orchestra in 2000 becoming Musical Director of the Hepworth Band. Following a move back to his native Scotland, Andrew had his first taste conducting Kingdom Brass at the 2003 Scottish Championships. He then accepted the appointment as MD of the Whitburn Band in 2003.
As MD of Whitburn he completed five straight wins at the Land O_ Burns contest, won the West Lothian Challenge twice, came 3rd at Brass in Concert and was _in the frame_ twice at the British Open, with a 6th place in 2007 and a 2nd place in 2003 - the best result by a Scottish band in the history of the British Open. Andrew was also the winning conductor at the Scottish Open with Whitburn in 2006 and 2007.
In 2007 Andrew was appointed as the Musical Director of the Mount Charles Band from Cornwall. With Mount Charles he won the South of England Area in 2008 and was the runner up in 2007, subsequently competing at The National Championships at the Royal Albert Hall. Together they also gained 4th place at the English Nationals in 2008 and 3rd place at the Grand Shield in March this year.
Andrew has conducted many of the world_s finest brass bands on a freelance basis in recent years including Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Brighouse and Rastrick Band and the Wingates Band.
Andrew Duncan says of the appointment "I am delighted to be starting work with Kingdom Brass, the first band I worked with as a conductor in Scotland. I am looking forward to taking the band to the very top of Scottish banding and indeed further afield! The band has many exciting plans and aims for the future and has been universally admired for its 'Kingdom Brass Youth Initiative' which I am sure will pay dividends for the band in the years to come_.
