Under the spotlight: Dysart Colliery Silver Band

Dysart Colliery Silver Band at Perth Concert Hall.

PREPARATIONS are well underway for Dysart Colliery Silver Band ahead of the 2016 Band Supplies Scottish Challenge.

Conducted by Ross Brotherston, the band enjoyed a fine result at the Fife Charities Brass Band Association contest and will be looking to continue its good form at the competition in Kilmarnock on November 19.

Principal players

History

Formed in 1880, Dysart Colliery Band has enjoyed a long-standing heritage in Dysart, which is a regenerating mining area. The band started out as a town band but when much of the land around the area was sold to the coal board, the band became Dysart Colliery Silver band.

The band provides entertainment to the local community and beyond through playing concerts in halls, park bandstands, shopping centres and various locations around Fife and the east of Scotland. During the course of the year, many people will be entertained by the band concerts, which culminate in an annual Christmas event.

After many years in the wilderness and a lack of contest performances, the band has slowly returned to a level where it is regularly competing with some success, having had an extremely good result at the Fife Charities Brass Band Association contest at the Adam Smith theatre in September. Members of Dysart are looking forward to continuing their progress at the Band Supplies Scottish Challenge.

Musical Director Ross Brotherston started playing the cornet aged seven with St Ronan’s Silver Band, based in the Scottish Borders. He progressed into the youth band and was quickly promoted to the senior band.

Making his way through the cornet ranks, Ross entered a number of solo contests, picking up a few awards along the way including the 2004 Scottish Youth Championship in the Under 16s category.

In 2005 he moved to Newtongrange Silver Band aged 16 playing with the band at the 2006 European Brass Band Championships. For 10 years Ross had a fruitful relationship with Newtongrange, playing in a number of cornet seats and also a spell on soprano cornet. Ross played with the band at the National Championships of Great Britain on three occasions, two of which resulted in top six finishes for the band. His spell on soprano cornet included winning the Scottish 1st Section Championships and the Senior Trophy in 2013.

It was at Newtongrange where Ross would start his conducting career, being appointed to conduct in May 2014 and spending six months with the band before family commitments forced a change.

In January 2016 Ross was appointed to the Tullis Russell Mills Band and played a big part in preparing the band for its Scottish Championship winning performance which resulted in gaining promotion to the championship section for the first time in 39 years.

Ross has worked under a number of conductors as a player including Richard Evans, Allan Ramsay and Steve Sykes and as a conductor, has worked alongside Raymond Tennant and Lee Skipsey in preparing bands for concerts and contests.