Sad passing of Irene Carstairs
Irene Carstairs - 1962 - 2012
It's with much sadness that the Tullis Russell Mills Band announce the death of percussion player Irene Carstairs on Thursday 26th July. Irene had been bravely fighting cancer since she was diagnosed with the disease in Nov 2010, and only this week attended a concert as the guest of honour to raise funds for the Macmillan Cancer Nurses who have been helping Irene during her illness, a concert which was given by a band of 50 players made up from Tullis players and players from former bands that Irene had played with. Irene was also presented with her SBBA Life medal by Alan Fernie a long-time friend of Irene's. The concert featured music which Irene loved to play and the massed band also played Irene's own arrangement of the March J.A.G.
Irene's music career started on trumpet until the school band needed a percussionist, where Irene then taught herself to play as her music teacher at the time was only a brass instructor. Irene began her brass banding career with Tullis Russell in Aug 1976 under the baton of the late Duncan Campbell, having heard the band give a concert at her school in Kirkcaldy. Irene's first taste of brass band contesting was in 1976 at the Edinburgh Charities contest in the Queens Hall and her first Scottish Championships was in Motherwell in 1977 where Pageantry was the set piece for the day.. She then moved to Cowdenbeath Public in 1983 where she stayed till 1995, during her time at Cowdenbeath she was involved with many projects to do with the band and did her fair share of repair work in keeping the old Haldane Hall wind and water tight. Irene then moved to Dalkeith where she reckons she had the best 2 years of her banding career. During this period Irene also conducted Dunfermline Town. On leaving Dalkeith Irene moved to Tayport playing at the National Finals before returning to TR. In 2002 Irene moved along the A92 to join Lochgelly and was there until 2006 where she came back once again to Tullis.
Although receiving treatment for cancer it didn't stop Irene playing or being involved with Tullis and her last contest performance was at the Scottish Championships in Glenrothes this year. Irene was known for her sometimes sharp humour and was not frightened to let conductors know that they may be wrong (often when they were not) as anyone who has played in a band with Irene will testify, and she will be sadly missed by friends and family and everyone that knew her.
Details of the funeral arrangements will be posted on the Tullis Russell Mills Band website www.trmb.co.uk as soon as they become available, or contact 078675 38699 for details after 29/7/12.
Steven Craig
Band Manager
Tullis Russell Mills Band
