Kirkintilloch Kelvin’s First Section performance rounds off a successful Day 1 in Perth

The First Section completed Day 1 of the Scottish Championships – and it was Kirkintilloch Kelvin Brass who took the final honours of Saturday. Conducted by Mareika Gray, the band achieved 192 points for its performance of Variations on 'Was Lebet' by Andrew Wainwright.

Hot on their heels was Lochgelly with musical director Chris Shanks on 190 points and in third place was Dalkeith & Monktonhall under the baton of James Chamberlain on 189 points.

The Thomas Macaulay Memorial Trophy for best horn went to Rebecca Ritchie of Kirkintilloch Kelvin and the SBBA medal for the best instrumentalist was awarded to bass trombonist Jim Bone of Lochgelly.

The section was adjudicated by Chris King and John Doyle and it was John who took to the podium to talk about what they had observed from the ten bands.

He wondered how many MDs had heard his comments from the previous week at the NW Championships in Blackpool – as he was going to say the same thing in Scotland!

“If the tempo is marked 138 and it is too fast to play cleanly and with clarity, then slow down,” he said. “Detail is the key – daintiness and cheekiness is the style.”

He added: “I have listened to 27 performances of this test piece in six days and I have to say that Scotland will be fantastically represented in York!”

The full results of the First Section are:

1. Kirkintilloch Kelvin Brass (Mareika Gray) 192pts

2. Lochgelly (Chris Shanks) 190pts

3. Dalkeith & Monktonhall (James Chamberlain) 189pts

4. Unite Scotland Kinneil (Allan Ramsay) 188pts

5. Dunaskin Doon (Chris Bradley) 187pts

6. Bathgate (Craig Anderson) 186pts

7. Newmains & District (Paul McKelvie OBE) 184pts

8. Newmilns & Galston (Alan Friel) 183pts

9. Perthshire Brass (Willie McMullan) 182pts

10. Jedforest Instrumental (Philip Rosier) 181pts