Forfar Instrumental duo receive their SBBA life memberships

Congratulations to Elayne Buchan and Robin Wardhaugh of Forfar Instrumental Band on receiving their life membership medals from the Scottish Brass Band Association for their service to the banding community.

The awards were presented by Northern Counties association president Jim Wishart at the band’s rescheduled concert on Saturday 13 January.

Elayne has been playing tenor horn in the Angus and Tayside area since 1972, originally joining the Dundee RNR Band and then transferring to the Dundee Concert Band before returning to RNR in 1983. After this band folded, she moved to Forfar Instrumental on solo horn, a position she holds to his day.

Between 2010 and 2015 she registered with Tayport Instrumental for contesting purposes as Forfar was not a competing band at the time.

A former chairperson of the band, she is considered as a ‘mum’ to younger members, providing encouragement and advice whenever it is needed.

Third cornet player Robin has been a member of Forfar Instrumental since 1968. For four years from 2012 he had a stint on Bb bass. A band committee member for many years, he also serves on the Northern Counties association committee.

It was during 2019 that he visited Shetland to learn what support SBBA could give to the Lerwick Band. Since that time, the band has established closer ties with the mainland banding community – via the Inverness-based Highlands and Islands committee – and has had younger members attend the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS) summer course at Strathallan School.