Bonny playing from Bon-Accord B tops the Fourth Section

It is the Bon-Accord B and Coalburn Intermediate bands who have earned the chance to represent Scotland in Fourth Section of the National Finals later this year.

Bon-Accord, under the musical direction of Harry Marshall, won the section with an impressive 194 points, two ahead of second placed Coalburn, conducted by Gareth Bowman.

Playing the perennial test piece Indian Summer by Eric Ball, both bands impressed not only the experienced adjudicators Alan Duguid and Phillip Littlemore but also trainee judge Chris Shanks.

It was Dysart Colliery Silver, led by Robert Fraser, who took the third spot on 190 points.

Bon-Accord B euphonium player Hannah Noble won the SBBA medal for the best instrumentalist and Jamie Wallace of Penicuik Silver took the Tommy Dennington Trophy for the youngest BBb bass player.

Before the results of the Fourth Section were announced, five non-contesting Section 4b bands took to the stage to perform 15-minute own choice programmes for the assessment of adjudicator Joshua Parkhill.

Each of the bands – Brass Central Strathearn, Broxburn & Livingston Future, Clackmannan District Youth & Development, Forfar Instrumental and Montrose Town – received a certificate of participation and a written evaluation of their performances from Joshua.

He congratulated the bands on their programmes, adding that they were all successful in lots of different ways with a good variety in choice of music. He singled out the soloists for a special round of applause.

Fourth Section trainee adjudicator Chris Shanks pointed out that in this “wonderful piece of music” attention needed to be paid to the transition between movements, noting that “silence is just as important as the music”.

Alan Duguid said it was a priviledge and an “absolute joy`” to sit back and listen to the bands playing the set work which presented a challenge as well as an opportunity.

He added that the percussion had a special part to play in the music and the tightness of the ensemble playing was very important.

The full results of the Fourth Section are:

1. Bon-Accord B (Harry Marshall) 194pts

2. Coalburn Intermediate (Gareth Bowman) 192pts

3. Dysart Colliery Silver (Robert Fraser) 190pts

4. Kirkton Brass Bathgate (Paul McKelvie OBE) 189pts

5. Irvine & Dreghorn Community Brass (John Boax) 188pts

6. Barrhead Burgh (Alan Friel) 187pts

7. Penicuik Silver (Jess Purbrick) 186pts

8. Turriff Silver (Matt Bailey) 185pts

9. Dundee Instrumental (Bob McDonald) 184pts

10. Whitburn Heartlands (Peter Holmes) 183pts

11. Hawick Saxhorn (Greig Murray) 182pts

12. Dunfermline City Brass (Paul Dickens) 181pts

14. MacTaggart Scott Loanhead (Amy Paterson) 180pts