Bathgate bask in Fife contest glory

Bathgate Band took the top honours in yesterday’s Fife Charities Band Association annual contest in the Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy.

Fifteen bands had entered the own-choice march, hymn tune and test piece competition which was adjudicated by renowned composer, conductor and teacher Christopher Bond.

The band’s programme comprised The Australasian march, Lord of all Hopefulness hymn tune and test piece, Peter Graham’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth which earned placings of second, fourth and first respectively.

Bathgate, conducted by Craig Anderson, also picked up the best horn, best basses and best percussion awards.

The victory has earned the band a ticket into the 2027 Spring Festival which will take place in Birmingham next May.

Bo’ness & Carriden Band (Paul McKelvie) – playing The Contestor, In Perfect Peace and Robert Farnon’s Une Vie de Matelot – was the runner-up in the contest and Coalburn Silver (Gareth Bowman) came third with its renditions of Mephistopheles, God and God Alone (arranged by band member Dale Simmons) and The World Rejoicing by Edward Gregson.

Before the announcement of the results, the audience was entertained by members of Cupar Bandits, Kingdom Brass Youth and Dysart Community Brass.

Bathgate Band on its way to winning the FCBA contest

Here are the full results from the day:

Test piece

1. Bathgate 190pts

2. Bo’ness & Carriden 189pts

3. Coalburn Silver 188pts

4. Unite Scotland Kinneil 187pts

5. Kingdom Brass 186pts

6. Lochgelly 185pts

7. Newtongrange Silver 184pts

8. Granite City Brass 183pts

9. Clackmannan District 182pts

10. Dysart Colliery Silver 181pts

11. Broxburn & Livingston 180pts

12. Whitburn Heartlands 179pts

13. Shotts St Patrick’s 178pts

14. Tullis Russell Mills 177pts

15. Turriff Silver 176pts

March

1. Unite Scotland Kinneil 192pts

2. Bathgate 191pts

3. Lochgelly 189pts

4. Coalburn 188pts

5. Bo’ness & Carriden 187pts

6. Kingdom Brass 186pts

7. Clackmannan District 185pts

8. Granite City Brass 184pts

9. Newtongrange Silver 182pts

10. Broxburn & Livingston 181pts

11. Shotts St Patrick’s 180pts

12. Dysart Colliery Silver 179pts

13. Whitburn Heartlands 178pts

14. Turriff Silver 177pts

15. Tullis Russell Mills 176pts

Hymn tune

1. Coalburn 190pts

2. Bo’ness & Carriden 189pts

3. Lochgelly 188pts

4. Bathgate 187pts

5. Kingdom Brass 186pts

6. Unite Scotland Kinneil 185pts

7. Newtongrange Silver 184pts

8. Granite City Brass 183pts

9. Clackmannan District 182pts

10. Dysart Coliery Silver 181pts

11. Shotts St Patrick’s 180pts

12. Tullis Russell Mills 179pts

13. Broxburn & Livingston 178pts

14. Turriff Silver 177pts

15. Whitburn Heartlands 176pts

Awards

Best cornet: Dhani Miller, Unite Scotland Kinneil

Best horn: Louise McCauley (solo horn) and Lauren Downs (flugel), Bathgate

Best trombone: Alex Philip, Kingdom Brass

Best baritone: Mark Sellers, Lochgelly

Best euphonium: David McLean, Bo'ness & Carriden

Best tuba: Ross Mercer, Coalburn Silver

Best basses: Bathgate

Best percussion: Bathgate

Best 1st section band: Bathgate

Best 2nd section band: Clackmannan District

Best 4th section - Dysart Colliery Silver

Winning conductor: Craig Anderson, Bathgate

Best Fife A band: Kingdom Brass

Best Fife B band: Dysart Colliery Silver

Best non-FCBA band: Bathgate

Unsung Hero award: Duncan Stewart, Turriff Silver percussionist