Haydock Band wins Fife Charities contest

Haydock Band travelled north to participate in yesterday’s Fife Charities Band Association open contest at the Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy and ended up taking the victory silverware back over Hadrian’s Wall. 

Entering the competition for the first time, the Merseyside outfit came out on top overall, won the best First Section band and best non-Fife band prizes with musical director Mark Quinn taking the best conductor award. 

Playing off the no.12 spot, it was the band’s renditions of the march The President (German), hymn tune In Love for Me (Harper) and test piece Saints Triumphant (Wilby) that impressed adjudicator Stephanie Binns the most. 

The band now qualifies for an invitation to next year’s British Open Spring Festival. 

Taking the runner-up place in the contest was Bathgate Band playing the hymn Love Unknown (Ireland), test piece Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Graham) and march The President (German) under the leadership of Craig Anderson. 

In third place was Coalburn Silver Band, conducted by Gareth Bowman with a programme of the hymn Fairest Lord Jesus (Simmons), test piece The Essence of Time (Graham) and march Knight Templar (Allan). 

The full results were:

1. Haydock (Mark Quinn) 196pts

2. Bathgate (Craig Anderson) 195pts

3. Coalburn Silver (Gareth Bowman) 194pts

4. Kirkintilloch Kelvin (Danny Brooks) 193pts

5.Newmilns & Galston (Alan Friel) 190pts

6. Clackmannan District (Paul Drury) 188pts

7. Unite Scotland Kinneil (Paul Drury) 187pts

8. Kingdom Brass (Alistair Gibson) 185pts

9. Annan Town (Lewis Wilkinson) 184pts

10. Bo'ness & Carriden (Andrew McMillan) 181pts

11. Lochgelly (Russell Gray) 180pts

12. Johnstone (Raymond Tennant) 177pts

13. Dysart Colliery Silver (Robert Fraser) 176pts

14. Dunfermline City (David Shanks) 173pts

15. Buckhaven & Methil Miners (Steven Craig) 171pts

16. Whitburn Heartlands (Peter Holmes) 170pts

17. Brass Sounds Inverclyde (Caroline Tennant) 168pts

Best Fife A Band: Kingdom Brass
Best Fife B Band: Dysart Colliery Silver 
Winning Conductor: Mark Quinn (Haydock)
Best Championship: Bathgate
Best 1st Section: Haydock
Best 2nd Section: Annan Town
Best 3rd Section: Dysart Colliery Silver
Best 4th Section: Dunfermline City

Individual prizes 

West-Fife Ex Servicemens Club Trophy for best march: Bathgate

William Rogerson Trophy for best hymn tune: Coalburn Silver Band

James Cooney Memorial Trophy for best horn/flugel: Kirkintilloch Kelvin solo horn

Charles Mcewan Trophy for best trombone: Bathgate solo trombone 

Marble Trophy for best bass section: Coalburn Silver

The Royal Oak Social Club Trophy for best cornet: Newmilns & Galston soprano

Tullis Russell Salver for best percussion: Unite Scotland Kinneil

Sandy Cochrane Memorial Trophy for best euphonium: Bo'ness & Carriden

Best baritone, sponsored by Kingdom Housing Association: Coalburn Silver 

Unsung hero, sponsored by Kingdom Housing Association: trombone section of Coalburn Silver