The Besson Scottish Solo and Ensemble Championships 2017
Livingston's Howden Park Centre is all set to hold the annual Besson Scottish Solo and Ensemble Championships this weekend as soloists and ensembles gather from all parts of the country.
The event gets under way at 9.30am on Saturday with the draw for the Junior Ensemble and Junior solos contest for children aged 12 and under, with the first ensemble on stage at 10.00am.
The Intermediate Ensembles and Solos (age 13-16) will follow in the afternoon, the first ensemble due on stage at 1.30pm after a 12.30pm draw, while the Youth Ensemble and Solo contests (age 17-21) will be drawn at 4.30pm with the first group on stage one hour later.
A total of 36 youth soloists and 17 ensembles will be involved at the contest, all hoping to impress the experienced adjudication team of Owen Farr and Les Neish. All soloists will be accompanied by renowned West Lothian-born pianist Gina Baker. The results and presentation pf prizes will be announced at the conclusion of each section.
There will be a slightly later start on Sunday with the draw for all sections in the Open Brass contest taking place at 11.00am, the Slow Melody Contest getting under way half an hour later. The remaining sections, Open Ensemble, Duets and Solos will begin at 1.30pm with the results expected around 4.00pm.
