NYBBS principals talk about participating in the European festival
Excitement and nervous anticipation are the understandable emotions of the NYBBS members who will be performing in the Birmingham Symphony Hall on Saturday in what will be one of the biggest banding moments of their young lives.
NYBBS will be among six bands in the European Youth Brass Band Competition development section. Each band will play a 20-minute programme which will include the set test piece Corineus by Christopher Bond.
SBBA spoke with the band’s ten principal players on their feelings about going to the European festival.
Soprano player Gregor Koziel has been attending NYBBS since 2017. A member of Coalburn Silver, he is relishing the European championships. “The atmosphere is going to be amazing,” he said.
Principal cornet Gregor Hewitt has been a NYBBS member for six years, having joined the Children’s band initially. Moving from trumpet to cornet when he was 13, he has never looked back and now plays with Riverside Youth and 2nd cornet with Johnstone. He is so proud to be leading the band on stage in Birmingham. “It’s so exciting,” he said. “It will be my biggest achievement so far.”
Flugel player Libby Hunter started learning to play on the tenor horn. She has been to NYBBS three times, although the Easter course was her first time on flugel. Versatility is her middle name as she plays 2nd cornet with Johnstone, flugel for Riverside Youth and French horn with the Glasgow Studio Orchestra. “It’s very exciting to be going to the Europeans,” she said. “It’s an opportunity that’s only afforded to very few people. It will be great to be part of it.”
Solo horn Andrew McMillan has been a regular at NYBBS since he was 11, when he joined the Children’s band. Principal horn with Whitburn Band, current Scottish champions, he is full of anticipation at the thought of playing at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham. “It’s going to be a really special experience, particularly playing in a completely different acoustic.”
Baritone player Charlie Boax’s first involvement with banding was learning to play percussion – following in her mum Carrie’s footsteps – in Irvine & Dreghorn Brass. When she was six, she turned to trombone, but it wasn’t too long afterwards that she plumped for baritone – and has loved playing the instrument ever since! She has been a regular at NYBBS since she was nine and is still a member of IDB. “The European will be the biggest contest of my life,” she said. “I’m so excited to be going as it will be a great showcase for our band.”
NYBBS principals at their Easter course in Strathallan (from left): Gregor Hewitt, Angus Ritchie, James Kinley, Gregor Koziel, Andrew McMillan, Charlie Boax, Owen Campbell, Mark Gammon, Libby Hunter and Scott Crumlish
Euphonium Angus Ritchie is in his sixth year as a member of NYBBS. He plays with Kirkintilloch Kelvin Band on both euphonium and baritone. “Performing in the Symphony Hall will be incredible,” he said. “I’m excited to be going there as it will be my most significant event in banding to date.”
Tenor trombonist James Kinley joined NYBBS in the Senior band in 2019. He’s been playing the instrument for ten years and is a member of the non-contesting Rushen Silver Band on the Isle of Man. Unfortunately, because of the prohibitive cost of flights to and from England, he will be unable to be at Birmingham. “It’s really disappointing,” he said, “but I wish all the band every success.”
Bass trombonist Mark Gammon started attending NYBBS seven years ago when he joined the Children’s band. A member of Riverside Youth, he began learning to play while still in primary school. “I started off on trumpet but that didn’t go too well and I soon switched over to trombone,” he said. “I’ve not played at any of the really big competitions before so this will be really special. It’s by far the biggest event I shall have been to. It’s a great opportunity for us all.”
Eb bass player Owen Campbell has been with NYBBS for three years, starting with the Reserve band. Having learned to play on cornet, he progressed to bass via tenor horn. A member of Arbroath Instrumental, he says he is looking forward to the European championships. “It’s like the Champions League for bands,” he mused, “with a great bunch of people.”
Scott Crumlish is in his fifth year as a member of NYBBS. He is also percussionist with Riverside Youth and Brass Sounds Inverclyde which leaves him little time for his other passion, playing on his X Box! He took up percussion by accident. “I had a choice of drums or guitar, but my hands were too small to go around the fret, so drums it was!”
Looking forward to being at the European championships, he said: “It presents a really great opportunity for us all.”
