Good luck to all Scottish lower section bands in the National Finals

Following the return of Whitburn and the cooperation band from last Saturday’s British Open Championships – sadly without any silverware on this occasion – it is the turn of the lower section Scottish bands to head south for this weekend’s National Finals in Cheltenham.

The Sections 1-4 Finals 2024 will take place at The Centaur at Cheltenham Racecourse where 76 of the best bands will battle it out to be crowned National Champion Band of Great Britain in their section.

These are the participating bands who qualified at the Scottish Championships in March: The Kirkintilloch Band (Hedley Benson) in the First Section (Granite City did not accept the invitation to compete); Newmains & District (Paul McKelvie MBE) and Broxburn & Livingston (Bryan Allen) in the Second Section; Croy Silver Band (Kenneth Blackwood) and Perthshire Brass (Willie McMullan) in the Third Section; and Bon-Accord B (Harry Marshall) and Buckhaven & Methil Miners (Steven Craig) in the Fourth Section.

Best wishes and good luck to them all!

This is the full line-up of the weekend’s competitors:

First Section (Saturday, following Third Section)

Test piece: Excalibur (Jan van der Roost)

Adjudicators: Roger Argente, Dr Robert Childs, Alan Morrison

Blackburn & Darwen
BTM
City of Bristol
Crofton Silver
Horsham Borough
Jackfield
Kibworth
Kidlington Concert
Kirkintilloch
Langley
Lydbrook
Michelmersh Silver
Milton Keynes
North Skelton
Northop Silver
Tewit Silver
Tyldesley
Wardle Anderson
Yorkshire Imperial

Second Section (Sunday, following Fourth Section)

Test piece: Albinus Variations (Etienne Crausaz)

Adjudicators: Brett Baker, Ian Porthouse, Andrea Price

Abertillery Town
Audley
Besses Boys
Broxburn & Livingston
City of Cambridge
Diggle
Durham Miners' Association
Emley
Ferryhill Town
Gosport Solent
Newmains & District
Raunds Temperance
Saint Sebastian Wokingham
Skelmersdale Prize
South Yorkshire Police
St Austell Town
St Keverne
Tilbury
Usk

Third Section (Saturday)

Test piece: The Shipbuilders (Peter Yorke)

Adjudicators: Nicholas Garman, John Maines, Sandy Smith

Amersham Concert
Barnsley Metropolitan
Clifton & Lightcliffe
Croy Silver
Crwbin
Eccleston
Flookburgh Silver
Golborne
Lydney Town
Morecambe
Nailsworth Silver
Penclawdd
Perthshire Brass
Putney & Wimbledon
Spennymoor Town
Thrapston Town
Towcester Studio
Verwood Town
Wellington (Telford)
Welwyn Garden City

Fourth Section (Sunday)

Test piece: Smoke Sketches (Daniel Hall)

Adjudicators: Stephanie Binns, David Hirst, Paul Holland

Betteshanger Colliery Welfare
Bon-Accord B
Buckhaven & Methil Miners
Bugle Silver
Coventry Festival
Craghead Colliery
Friendly (Sowerby Bridge)
Holywell Silver
Illogan Sparnon Silver
Littleborough
Loxley Silver
Penrith Town
Reading Spring Gardens
Severn Tunnel
Stalybridge Old
Syston
Watford
Whitwell