It may be cold outside but inside the sounds of brass are heart-warming
The weather outside may have been cold, wet and miserable, but inside Strathallan School the sounds of brass were more than enough to warm the cockles of your heart.
It’s the end of Day 2 at the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS) Easter course at the residential educational establishment nestled in the picturesque Perthshire hills.
The 65 young musicians have been rehearsing all day for their concert in the school’s theatre on Thursday under the guidance of MD Ian Porthouse.
The band – a combination of NYBBS Reserve and Senior players – have also been working on the set test piece Corineus by Christopher Bond and own-choice music in preparation for their 20-minute contest programme in the development section of the European Youth Brass Band Competition on Saturday 30 April in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall.
Ian himself will be busy with Tredegar Band on that weekend so SBBA education officer and NYBBS Reserve band conductor John Boax will be taking up the baton.
Together with conductor, composer and adjudicator Alan Fernie, Ian and John have been taking the young players in sectional rehearsals and personal tuition. Sadly, conductor emeritus and musical director extraordinaire Richard Evans has been unable to make the NYBBS week through ill health.
Thursday’s concert is due to start at 2.30pm and will be broadcast live on the SBBA YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/ZLLGL1qRbWg
The chosen repertoire will be posted in tomorrow’s NYBBS Easter update. Entry to the concert will be by donation through the NYBBS Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/NYBBS2021?invite=true with proceeds going to support the young musicians’ activities in 2022.
If you are attending in person, please remember that the wearing of face coverings is still required indoors (unless eating or playing).
The course has been supported with grant funding from Creative Scotland through its Youth Music Initiative (YMI). #creativescots
