Under the spotlight: Unison Kinneil
UNISON Kinneil Band, from Bo'ness, is among the bands looking forward to performing Howard Snell's set work, Gallery, at the 2015 Scottish Open on November 28. Under the baton of Craig Anderson, the outfit has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years which will see Unison Kinneil compete in the championship section in 2016.
Time for the band to say hello...
Soprano cornet: Katie Ankers
Principal cornet: Lauren Robb
Flugelhorn: Joanne Hamilton
Solo horn: Charlotte Davey
Solo euphonium: Ian Campbell
Solo baritone: Lucy Anderson
Solo trombone: Graeme McGregor
Solo Eb bass: John Walter
Solo Bb bass: Gary Kelly
Principal percussionist: Cameron Marr
Kinneil Band was founded in 1858 by the miners of Kinneil Pit and the workers of Wilson's Kinneil Iron Works in their home town of Bo'ness, West Lothian. The founder members decided to name their new band ‘Kinneil Band', famously known since that day. The bands founding members donated £5 each to enable the purchase of the band's first set of instruments.
In 1894 Kinneil Band led a parade of striking miners to a meeting with miners from nearby collieries. The management of Kinneil Colliery did not look kindly upon the support the band showed and they duly notified the band that the lease of rehearsal facilities was cancelled. Undaunted, the band then began raising funds to build their own bandhall. Astonishingly, in just over one year enough money was raised to commence building. The ground for the hall was granted to them by the Duke of Hamilton and the total cost of the hall was £350. The current bandhall exists in the same location today on Linlithgow Road Bo'ness.
The band steadily increased its reputation and continued to perform at major events around the country up until the First World War. During this time the band lost many of its members to the forces but the band still continued to practice during the Great War until the surviving members returned from the front line.
In 1953 the band decided that a change to traditional brass should occur. The band's name then changed to ‘Kinneil Colliery Silver Band' to reflect the support the band received from the miners of Kinneil Colliery. The band's most notable claims to fame came in 1959 when they won the second section national championships and in 1965, it was placed fourth in the National Championships of Great Britain despite a disastrous ending to the test piece Triumphant Rhapsody.
Kinneil maintained a strong link to the local mine workers, who subscribed to the band until the colliery closed in 1983. Shortly after the closure of the colliery, support was received from the National Union of Public Employees. In 1993, NUPE amalgamated with the other public sector unions to form UNISON and the band changed its name to UNISON Kinneil Band to mark their continued support.
Contest success is no stranger for the band and they continue to set records the most recent being to complete a fourth successive win in 2004 at the Whitburn Contest. In addition to contest successes, the band has featured in radio and TV broadcasts and has toured Germany on two occasions and have recently complete a tour of Norway in 2006.
The conductor
Craig Anderson is an award-winning tuba soloist and freelance player with a wealth of experience that has seen him play with numerous leading orchestras and ensembles. Craig began playing at the age of 11 with Monklands Youth Concert Brass under the tutorage of James Smith. At the age of 15 he was awarded a full scholarship to study at the junior school of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama studying with Philip Hore (Royal Scottish National Orchestra). On leaving the junior school he was awarded the Gilbert Innes prize for brass.
After being accepted to the RSAMD, Craig began to freelance almost immediately, working with the BBC SSO and Scottish Opera in his first year. Studying under Anthony Swainson, Craig was a finalist in the Radio 2 Young Musician of the Year and won the prestigious Governor's recital prize for brass. Craig graduated from the RSAMD in 1995 with a DRSAMD and a CPGS. He freelances regularly with the BBC SSO, RSNO, Scottish Opera, Northern Synfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and many more. A highlight of his playing career was winning the International Tuba / Euphonium Conference at the Royal Northern College of Music in January 2000.
Craig began conducting when he took his first teaching post in 1998. He was offered his first Musical Director position with the Newmilns and Galston Band in 2001. Under his direction the band went from the second section to the championship section within the next three years. In this same period Craig was also Musical Director of the Dunaskin Doon Band and Resident Conductor with the Kirkintiloch Band.
In 2005 Craig was part of the RSNO Brass Quintet which visited Campbeltown Brass in the Mull of Kintyre. This trip proved to be an eventful one as shortly afterwards he was offered the post of Musical Director. Since then he has worked with the predominantly youth based group of musicians with great success. The band went from the third section to the first section in three years, winning many other prizes and plaudits along the way.
In 2006 Craig was appointed Musical Director of one of Scotland's top brass bands, Kingdom Brass. In his time there the band has achieved its best ever results at the Scottish Championships, the Scottish Open and the Spring Festival contests, the highlights being winning the Senior Trophy competition in 2006 and qualifying for the Grand Shield in 2009.
As well as brass band conducting Craig has also been heavily involved in wind bands and big bands. In 2009 Craig was appointed as musical director of the Wind Farm course by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
