Bumper entry for Scottish Festival of Brass is cause for celebration

Seventy-four bands and ensembles have signed up to take part in the Scottish Festival of Brass later this month in Perth.

On Saturday 18 November, 26 bands in Sections 1-4 will take to the stage in the city’s Concert Hall for the Band Supplies Scottish Challenge. This own-choice contest will be adjudicated by John Doyle and Owen Farr.

On the following Saturday (25 November) there will be 13 Championship section bands competing in the Scottish Open, supported by Besson, in which the set test piece is Astralis by Philip Wilby. Adjudicators for this event will be Alan Fernie and Sheona Wade.

The next day (Sunday 26 November) will be the turn of Scotland’s young people in the Scottish Youth Championships in which three percussion ensembles and 31 brass bands will participate in four different sections – Novice, Development, Intermediate and Senior.

Sarah Naish will be judging the percussion entries and the adjudicators for the various sections will be Brett Baker, Helen Douthwaite-Teasdale, Scott Walker and Sheona Wade.

Commented a delighted Carrie Boax, president of the Scottish Brass Band Association: “More than 70 senior and youth brass and percussion ensembles will be gracing the stage in the magnificent Perth Concert Hall over the two festival weekends, making the event a real cause for celebration.

“During the three days of our festival, we’re all looking forward to a veritable feast of brass band music – from the finely honed skills of our elite bands to those young musicians who are just starting out on their banding journeys.”

She added: “Scottish banding and music making continues to recover and grow after a period of extreme famine and frustrations – as can be seen from our much increased entry numbers this year – so this celebration of banding is one to be enjoyed to the full!”

Tickets are available in advance from Perth Concert Hall or can be purchased on the day.

The full line-up for the two weekends is:

Scottish Challenge, Perth Concert Hall, Saturday 18 November

Adjudicators: John Doyle and Owen Farr

Arbroath & Carnoustie (Eoin Tonner, 3rd Section)                                               

Bathgate (Craig Anderson, 1st)           

Brass Sounds Inverclyde (Joshua Parkhill, 3rd)                       

Broxburn & Livingston (Andrew Duncan, 2nd)           

Buckhaven & Methil Miners (Steven Craig, 4th)

Campbeltown Brass (Andrew McMillan, 1st)           

Clackmannan District (Paul Drury, 2nd)           

Coalburn Silver (Gareth Bowman, 1st)           

Dunaskin Doon (Paul Drury, 1st)

Dundee Instrumental (Bob McDonald, 4th)           

Dysart Colliery (Robert Fraser, 2nd)           

Forfar Instrumental (Donald Innes, 4th)           

Granite City Brass (Bruce Wallace, 1st)                       

Kilmarnock Concert Brass (Scott Walker, 2nd)                       

Lochgelly (Chris Shanks, 1st)           

McTaggart Scott Loanhead (Peter Holmes, 4th)

Newmains & District (Paul McKelvie, 1st)                       

Newmilns & Galston (Alan Friel, 2nd)                       

Newtongrange Silver (Anne Crookston, 1st)           

Perthshire Brass (Willie McMullan, 3rd)                                   

Renfrew Burgh (Mark Good, 2nd)                       

St David's Brass (John A Dickson, 2nd)                       

Shotts St Patrick's (Andy Shaw, 3rd)

The Kirkintilloch Band (Hedley Benson, 1st)                       

Tullis Russell Mills (George Cameron, 1st)                       

Turriff Silver (Matt Bailey, 4th)           

Scottish Open, Perth Concert Hall, Saturday 25 November

Adjudicators: Alan Fernie and Sheona Wade

Bon-Accord Silver (Anne Crookston)

Dalkeith & Monktonhall (James Chamberlain)           

Dalmellington (Alan Friel)                       

Easington Colliery (Stephen Malcolm)                                                                       

East London Brass (Jayne Murrill)           

Elland Silver (Daniel Brooks)                       

Fishburn (Duncan Beckley)                                   

Hepworth (Ryan Watkins)                                                           

Kingdom Brass (Thomas Wyss)                                   

Kirkintilloch Kelvin (Martyn Ramsay)                                               

Rainford (Sarah Groarke-Booth)                                   

the cooperation band (Mike Fowles)                                               

Whitburn (Prof Nicholas Childs)

Scottish Youth Championships, Perth Concert Hall, Sunday 26 November

Adjudicator: Sarah Naish

Percussion Ensembles

Coalburn Percussion Academy (Robbie Bremner)

Perth & Kinross (Lynsey Paterson)           

MidlothianPerc Ensemble (Barbara-Jane Waddell)

Adjudicators: Brett Baker, Helen Douthwaite-Teasdale, Scott Walker and Sheona Wade

Novice Section

Bathgate Youth Band (Stewart Byrnes)           

Bo’ness & Carriden Junior Band (David Lapsley)                          

Broxburn & Livingston Future Brass (Jim Bone)           

Coalburn Bronze Band (David Fehilly)           

Clackmannan District Beginners (Luci Lamb)

Hawick Saxhornettes (Stuart Black)

Irvine & Dreghorn Brasslets (John Boax)                                   

Kingdom Brass Youth Band (Denise Crighton-Ward)

Kinneil Youth Band (Scott Gardner)

Maroon Brass (Stuart Black)                       

Perthshire Youth Brass (Willie McMullan)

Rhins School Cluster Band (Angela Miller)           

Riverside Youth Band (Mark Good)           

Whitburn Wee Band (Charlie Farren)

Intermediate Section

Galashiels Youth Band (Stuart Black)

Kings Park Junior Brass (Emily Stokes)

Kirkintilloch Youth Band (Katherine Adams)             

Newtongrange Junior Band (Alan Fernie)           

Peebles Burgh Youth Band (Keith Belleville)

St. Ronan’s Future Band (Keith Belleville)

Stranraer Junior Brass (Angela Miller)

Wizzards & Cupar Brass Bandits (Denise Crighton-Ward & Alison Milne)

Development Section

Campbeltown Brass Juniors (Katrina Barr)

Irvine & Dreghorn Youth Band (John Boax)

West Lothian Schools Band (Caroline Farren)

Whitburn Youth Band (Caroline Farren)

Senior Section

Dalmellington Brass Academy (Cameron Paterson)

Esk Valley Brass (Alan Fernie / John Dickson)           

Highlands Future Brass (Mark Bell)                           

Riverside Youth Band (Mark Good)

Scottish Borders Youth Band (Stuart Black)