The 4th Section - The Foundation of the Scottish Championship
The growth in numbers of the 4th section bands competing at the Scottish has been quite spectacular over the last few years, and has quietly and steadily grown from a low point of only 5 bands competing in the 2009 Scottish Championships, to 14 bands making the journey to Perth to take part this weekend. In addition, there are also 2 further bands taking part in the new ‘Section 4B'.
A Very Welcome Development
An increasing 4th section is important because it reflects the growth both in terms of numbers and in terms of the general health of the wider brass band movement in Scotland. It has been argued for many years that the shape of the sections from the 4th through to the Championships should be like a pyramid, with more bands in the lower sections than in those above. This year for the first time in many years, the 4th section is our largest section and it is likely to increase even further next year. This is a very welcome and significant new development, not just in arresting a serious decline, but as it points to a tangible area of development for our competing bands which are now seeing the benefit of the ongoing SBBA Youth Development Programme.
The Number of 4th Section Brass Bands competing at the
Scottish Championships from 2009 to 2014.
This growth in the numbers of bands in the 4th section is due to several reasons. More of the bands are finding that they are able for the first time in years to compete as they have a full complement of players. This is very good news and does reflect the growth in the numbers of the SBBA membership and also the fact that many of the first wave of new youth players are now older and feeding through into mainstream community bands, although there is always more work to be done with liaising between local education authority music services and bands in the community.
New bands
Also, in the line-up are two entirely new bands, both who will be making their contesting debut on Saturday in Perth Concert Hall - Whitburn Heartlands and Highland Brass.
Whitburn Heartlands is what is generally described as a B Band. A new band set up within an existing organisation to allow the older members of their youth side to play along with older and retired members of the senior band, and to act as a half-way house between the youth band and the senior band. Whitburn is now a very large organisation and adds the Heartlands Band to its impressive portfolio of bands catering for many ages and stages of ability for the wider community in Whitburn and the surrounding area.
Highland Brass are also a new band and are in fact our most Northerly Scottish mainland brass band (there are of course brass bands in both the Orkney Isles and the Shetland isles). Highland Brass are making the journey down the A9 from Inverness to make their competition debut at the Scottish Championships this weekend.
Returning bands
Also this year, two bands from the South West of Scotland make a very welcome return to the 4th Section of the Scottish Championships after a number of years away. Creetown Silver and Stranraer Brass. It is great to see them both being able to take part again.
Section 4B
A New SBBA innovation taking place this weekend is the introduction of a new section linked to the 4th Section, Section 4B.
This is the new categorisation for what were previously (and rather condescendingly referred to) as SBBA's non-contesting member bands.
Whereas these bands were simply excluded from taking part in the Scottish Championships and other contests because of the rules, now with Section 4B they are able to fully take part and play at the event and on Sunday will be receiving notes and guidance from the adjudicators. Section 4B is not competitive, but instead allows the bands to present a short programme to express themselves musically and to use the new Section 4B as a portal leading directly back into competitive banding as and when they feel able to move over from 4B to the 4th Section.
The 2 bands playing in Section 4B are Coalburn Intermediate (another new ‘B Band;) and Newlands Concert Brass from Bathgate. These 2 bands will play at 1.00pm on Sunday before the Championship Section and will I am sure be given a great welcome and reception by many well-wishers in the hall.
Andrew Duncan
