150 years for the Dallmellington Band
DALMELLINGTON BAND
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BAND
& 50 YEAR MEDAL FOR BAND PRESIDENT BERT RITCHIE
MARKING 150 YEARS: Tom Allan (left) secretary of the Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA) presents Hugh Johnstone MBE, 89, with a Quaich from SBBA acknowledging their 150th anniversary.
(Photo: Donald L Reid)
50 NOT OUT: Tom Allan, (left), secretary and Carrie Box, Vice President, Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA), present Bert Ritchie, President of Dalmellington Band with a honorary membership of SBBA, marking his 50 years of service to Dalmellington Band.
(Photo: Donald L Reid)
FAMILY BAND: Bert Ritchie was delighted when he received a surprise presentation of a medal marking 50 years of service to Dalmellington Band. His family were equally thrilled.
(l to r): Jamie Ritchie, Elizabeth Ritchie and Claire Ritchie
Front: Katie, Justin and Robson.
(Photo: Donald L Reid)
During 12 hectic months in 2014 Dalmellington Band will be celebrating their 150th anniversary. The band takes its name from the small Doon Valley coal mining village where miners and weavers were among the first band members in 1864, making it one of the oldest continuing brass bands in Scotland.
A visit to the band hal, built in 2005, reveals an outstanding collection of historic and modern photos of banding, proudly gathered and displayed by their oldest member and banding legend, Hugh Johnstone MBE. 150 years after its founding the band is in very good heart having come 3rd in the Scottish Brass Band championships in Perth earlier in March and their junior band holding the title of Scottish Champions.
On Saturday March 29 the band held a ceilidh in the village community centre as the first of several events and concerts which will be mark their ‘150th.'
At the ceilidh there were also two surprise presentations made at this social evening which made the night rather special for everyone connected to the band and especially for the band president, Bert Ritchie.
Three members of the Scottish Brass Band Assocaition, the governing body of brass bands in Scotland, Carrie Boax, Vice President; Tom Allan, Secretary and Andy Smith, executive committee members, attended during the function and after the formal dinner, Hugh Johnstone MBE, 89, was invited to accept an inscribed Quaich from Carrie Boax, Vice President of the Scottish Brass Band Association, marking 150 years of banding in Dalmellington.
In a short speech Mrs Boax highlighted that Dalmellington Band were held in very high regard as a top class competing and concert band, not only in Scotland, but right across the UK. The band, she said, was also able to boast what was among the finest band halls and museum rooms of any brass band in the UK. She highlighted the close association over the years between the band and the local coal mining industry in the Doon Valley, local miners supporting the band with a weekly voluntary deduction from wages.
She praised the band for their outstanding efforts in delivering a state of the art band hall which was the envy of many bands. She also commended the band and its forward-thinking committee and conductor, Archie Hutchison, and junior band conductor, Ian Taylor, tor their contribution to the musical success of both bands over the years. Both bands were supported by dedicated committees and other brass tutors who worked hard to ensure that players had the best possible opportunity to fully develop their skills and abilities. Several of the junior band members were members of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland and the European Youth Brass Band.
Scottish banding legend, Hugh Johnstone MBE, 89, accepted the Quaich on behalf of both bands and said that in his 75 years of membership of the band, the name Dalmellington was held in high regard because of the energy, commitment and musical ability of so many players over the years, many from a mining background, making this top class band with a family atmosphere such an inspiration. As the oldest player, committee member and youth tutor, he was delighted to see the band flourishing.
Afterwards, Bert Ritchie, band president, was called on stage. Carrie Boax spoke about the individual commitment which Bert had given to the band over 50 years, beginning as a player age 12 years, having been taught trombone by Hugh Johnstone MBE and Robert Hill, a former principal trombone player and outstanding and life-long committee member.
Bert had served the band faithfully over these years, having been President for 21 years, playing an outstanding leadership role in supporting the band. She spoke about the huge amount of effort Bert had put in over a 5 year period, with highs and lows, to establish a new band hall because the old hall in the village's Main Street was in a dangerous condition.
Mrs Boax said she was absolutely delighted to be able to present Bert Ritchie with a Life Membership Medal from the Scottish Brass Band Assocation to mark 50 years of quite outstanding service to brass banding.
In his reply Bert was clearly emotional at this surprise presentation. He spoke about his 50 year journey with the band as a player, committee member and his service as president over the past 21 challenging years when there was a huge community effort to assist in delivering a new band hall.
The hard work had been well worth all the effort because, he said, it had given the band some of the best facilities of any band in the UK. He was particularly proud that both bands (senior and junior) from a small mining community was held in such high regard showing that those in whose footsteps they now walk, had set high standards with continuity, stability and forward planning always been important elements for the success of band.
The band also had an important social side with fun and friendship being part and parcel of belonging to Dalmellington which encouraged players to remain with the band, despite having the ability to play in the top ranks of bands in the UK.
He said: "We are all so proud of our senior and junior bands. We can boast a long and distinguished history. We also hold dear our links to the coal mining industry and a visit to our band hall will show jus how strong that link was from 1864 onwards. In my own years in the band the majority of the players worked in the local coal mines, but that all changed from 1978 with the closure of Pennyvenie Colliery and the subsequent demise of the mining industry in Scotland. However, the fact that the band has met that change head on and has evolved shows what strength and commitment there is by players, committee members and the village community and the support we receive from elected members."
He added: "Perhaps the greatest change in recent years was setting up our Patrons' scheme which has given the band a level of support which has been absolutely vital. We have patrons from all over the Uk and even a few from abroad and they all love the band. I can't thank my officials enough for their energy, commitment and loyalty. It must often seem like another full time job to them, but they are all brilliant. All of us in have one objective and that is to ensure that Dalmellington continues to have one of the top contesting and concert bands in Scotland and the best junior band which feeds into the senior band."
For further information contact: Donald L Reid, on 01505-503801 e: donaldleesreid@hotmail.com
or Bert Ritchie on 01292550250 or e: bert.ritchie@yahoo.co.uk
Dalmellington Band will publish a very large book (214 pages hardback with dustcover) marking their 150th anniversary on April 15. This is the result of 12 months of extensive research.
