48 Scottish bands line up for championships in Perth

Forty-eight bands will be taking to the stage for the Scottish Championships in Perth on the weekend of 12/13 March, all bidding to represent their country in the National finals later in the year.

The contest is the regional qualifier for the 2022 National Brass Band Championships to be held at Cheltenham Racecourse on 17/18 September and the Royal Albert Hall on 15 October.

First, 2nd and 3rd Section bands will compete at Perth Concert Hall on Saturday 12 March. The following day, 4th Section and 4b (non-contesting and youth) entries will precede the Championship Section.

There are ten bands participating in each of the Championship, 1st and 2nd Sections and nine in both the 3rd and 4th Sections. The entry is list is just six bands down from the 2020 contest which was held just before the UK went into total lockdown because of Covid-19.

SBBA secretary Tom Allan commented: “I am delighted to see so many bands participating in this year’s Scottish Championships, especially when you consider everything they have been through during the past two years.

“While we are slightly down on numbers from the 2020 contest, it is encouraging to note that bands seem keen to get back to contesting as we knew it before the start of the pandemic.”

Just like during the Scottish Festival of Brass in November, as things stand, there will be a one-metre distancing requirement for players on stage and in the warm-up room at the Perth Concert Hall. However, the number of dressing rooms now being made available has been increased to three for the weekend.

The full line-up of competing bands is as follows:

Championship Section – Sunday 13 March, Perth Concert Hall

Test piece: Contest Music (Wilfred Heaton)

Adjudicators: Sandy Smith and Sheona Wade

Bon-Accord Silver (Adam Cook)

Dalmellington (Erik Janssen)

Johnstone (Mark Good)

Kingdom Brass (Ian Porthouse)

Kirkintilloch Kelvin (Thomas Wyss)

Newtongrange Silver (Anne Crookston)

the cooperation band (Russell Gray)

The Kirkintilloch Band (David Roberts)

Unison Kinneil (Raymond Tennant)

Whitburn (Prof Nicholas Childs)

First Section – Saturday 12 March, Perth Concert Hall

Test piece: Spectrum (Gilbert Vinter)

Adjudicators: Sandy Smith and Sheona Wade

Annan Town (Andrew Warriner)

Bathgate (Craig Anderson)

Bo’ness & Carriden (Charlie Farren)

Coalburn Silver (Gareth Bowman)

Dalkeith & Monktonhall (James Chamberlain)

Dunaskin Doon (Paul Drury)

Granite City Brass (Bruce Wallace)

Lochgelly (Paul McKelvie OBE)

Newmains (Mike Marzella)

Newmilns & Galston (Mark James)

Second Section – Saturday 12 March, Perth Concert Hall

Test piece: The Aeronauts (Goff Richards)

Adjudicators: Sheona Wade and John Doyle

Broxburn & Livingston (Alaistair Gibson)

Campbeltown Brass (Stephanie Mitchell)

Clackmannan District (Ross Brotherston)

Irvine & Dreghorn (Lewis Bettles)

Jedforest Instrumental (Philip Rosier)

Perthshire Brass (George D Annan)

Renfrew Burgh (Steven Craig)

St David’s Brass (John A Dickson)

St Ronan’s Silver (Simon Railton)

Tullis Russell (Ray Munday)

Third Section – Saturday 12 March, Perth Concert Hall

Test piece: Facets of Glass (Gordon Langford)

Adjudicators: Sandy Smith and Helen Douthwaite

Arbroath (Audrey Bird)

Dysart Colliery (Kenneth Letham)

Kilmarnock Concert (Scott Walker)

Langholm Town (Chris Shanks)

Kirkton Brass Bathgate (Simon Railton)

Penicuik Silver (Douglas Anderson)

Selkirk Silver (Colin Kemp)

Shotts (Andrew Shaw)

Whitburn Heartlands (Stephen Duncan)

Fourth Section – Sunday 13 March, Perth Concert Hall

Test piece: Argos (Stephan Hodel)

Adjudicators: John Doyle and Sandy Smith

Bon-Accord B (Jennifer Cook)

Buckhaven & Methil Miners (Steven Craig)

Coalburn Intermediate (David Fehilly)

Dundee Instrumental (Bob McDonald)

Hawick Saxhorn (Stuart Black)

Inverclyde (Joshua Parkhill)

MacTaggart Scott (George Cameron)

Peebles Burgh (David Robb)

Stranraer Brass (Angela Miller)