Details of Borders Contest 6th November
BORDERS ENTERTAINMENT CONTEST - SATURDAY 6 NOVEMBER
The 10th annual Borders Entertainment Contest for brass bands will make its third visit to Innerleithen on Saturday 6 November when fifteen bands will battle for the Scottish Borders Trophy. The Scottish Borders Brass Band Association (SBBBA) is organising the exciting event, which will be held in the Memorial Hall, Innerleithen commencing at 9.30am. Borders bands, Hawick, Jedforest, Langholm, Peebles, Selkirk and St. Ronan's have all entered and will be joined at the contest by other bands from across Scotland. Each band will play a fifteen-minute concert programme and adjudicators John Hinckley and Charles Keenan will judge the performances. Meanwhile, Peter Fraser MBE has been invited to assess the entertainment value of the performances.
Since its inception in 2001 the Borders Entertainment Contest has set a programming theme. This year SBBBA Chairman, Alan Fernie, celebrates his 50th birthday and in recognition of this milestone, each band at this year's contest is required to include at least one "Fernie Piece" in its programme. The contest is confined to second, third and fourth section bands and there will be prizes for the best band in each section and an entertainment prize as well as awards for the best soloist, best bass section, best percussion section, best instrumentalist and best solo cornet. A new award this year will be presented to the highest placed Borders Association Band.
From just three bands in 2007 to seven this year, the youth section is going from strength to strength. Abbey Brass (Jedforest), Hawick Saxhorn Youth Band, Langholm Junior Band, Peebles Junior Band, Selkirk Junior Band, St. Ronan's Future Band and Swinton Bass Monkeys will all take part and be given gold, silver or bronze awards aimed at encouraging the development of these young players. This section will be adjudicated by Alison Hall. The Scottish Borders Youth Band, conducted by Alan Fernie, will perform a short programme prior to the announcement of the results. Formed only last year, this new group is representative of young brass and percussion players from across the region.
Entry costs £3.50 (£2.50 concessions). https://www.bordersbrass.org.uk
