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Scottish Open Brass Band Championships
We have received full details of
the Scottish Open Brass Band Championships, the Press Release reads;
Scottish Brass Band Association - Press Release - 27 November 2003
Scottish Open Brass Band Championships - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
Scottish Youth Brass Band Championships - Royal Scottish Academy of Music
and Drama.
St. Andrew's Night Gala Concert - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Sunday 30 November 2003
The above events take place this weekend, bringing the cream of the United
Kingdom brass band movement and the best of Scotland's youth to Glasgow to
compete in these inaugural contests, which are presented by the Scottish
Brass Band Association.
This is undoubtedly the most exciting brass band event to take place in
Scotland for many years and it is hoped that it will appeal to both the
brass band and general public alike. The test-piece, chosen by the competing
bands, is Philip Wilby's Paganini Variations. This was first used as a
test-piece in Manchester at the 1991 British Open Championships, which was
won by Grimethorpe Colliery Band conducted by Frank Renton. It remains one
of the most popular pieces in the brass band repertoire with players and
audiences alike and is no less of a musical challenge now than when it first
appeared twelve years ago.
The total prize fund of £7,500, with £3,000 of that to the winners, is
comfortably the biggest in Scottish banding history and has played no small
part in the attraction of seven leading bands from England and Wales to the
event, as well as Scotland's top eight bands.
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is a magnificent venue and is, for the
requirements of the contest, without equal in Scotland. It is also the venue
for next year's European Brass Band Championships and this contest will give
SBBA a chance to get to know better the logistics of staging such an event.
Despite being in the City Centre, there is ample parking for cars and
coaches nearby and rehearsal facilities locally to meet the requirements of
the competing bands.
The competing bands in the Scottish Open Championships are:-
Besses O' Th' Barn (Steve Sykes) - England
Bo'ness & Carriden (David James) - Scotland
Broxburn Public (Bruce Wallace) - Scotland
BTM (David Stowell) - Wales
Fishburn (Graham O'Connor) - England
Freckleton (Paul Dalton) - England
Hepworth (Mark Bentham) - England
Kingdom Brass (Archie Hutchison) - Scotland
Kirkintilloch (Frank Renton) - Scotland
Newtongrange (David Hirst) - Scotland
Scottish Co-op (Russell Gray) - Scotland
Sellers International (Phillip McCann) - England
Tredegar (Richard Evans) - Wales
Unison Kinneil (Allan Ramsay) - Scotland
Whitburn (Andrew Duncan) - Scotland
Adjudicators - Dr. Robert Childs, Steven Roberts and Iain Brownbill, who
were all appointed following a poll of the competing bands.
The staging of this Scottish Open alongside the Scottish Youth Brass Band
Championships is very important in that this will help to create a festival
atmosphere plus a link between youngsters starting out in the movement and
our top Championship Section bands. As far as we are aware, the linking of a
"major" contest with a youth championships is a unique feature of the event.
Competing in the youth championships are the following bands and conductors.
Premier Section (upper age limit 21 years) - Adjudicators - Bryan Allen &
Gordon Evans
Aberdeen City Youth (Eric Kidd)
Moray Concert Brass (Glenn Munro)
Community Section (upper age limit 21 years) - Adjudicator - Bryan Allen
Auchinleck Academy (Stephen Boyd)
Campbeltown Brass Youth (Katrina Barr)
CIS Youth Concert Brass (Craig Anderson)
Queensferry High School (Gareth Ross)
St David's High School (John Dickson)
Development Section (upper age limit 16 years) - Adjudicator - Charles
Keenan
Campbeltown Brass Juniors (Katrina Barr)
Clydebank Burgh Youth (Gareth Bowman & Lorraine Murray-Carstairs)
Irvine & Dreghorn Youth (Claire Drennan)
Jedforest Junior (Cameron Mabon)
Loanhead Brass Roots (Alan Fernie)
Perthshire Youth Brass (George Annan)
Pre-results entertainment will be provided by the British Euphonium Ensemble
A foyer concert will be provided prior to the Gala Concert by Newmilns &
Galston Band (Craig Anderson), the current Scottish 2nd Section Champions.
The full line up for the Gala Concert is:-
Scottish Co-op (Russell Gray) - current Scottish Champions
West Lothian Schools (Nigel Boddice) - current UK Youth Champions
Gregor Stewart - current Scottish Solo Champion
Richard Kidd - current Scottish Junior Solo Champion
The Massed Bands of Kirkintilloch and Unison Kinneil
The House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead Pipe Band - current World Pipe Band
Champions
Inverclyde Schools Junior Choir
Presented by Frank Renton
Doyen will be recording the contest and gala concert. A highlights CD should
be on sale from January.
Tickets are available from the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Box Office (0141
353 8000) Priced £10.00 for the Scottish Open Championships and ranging from
£8.00 to £12.00 for the Gala Concert.
Further details of the events as well as press access can be obtained from:-
Alan McLaren
President - SBBA,
Mansfield Villa,
23 Polton Road,
Loanhead,
Midlothian.
EH20 9BU
Tel 0131 440 3880
E-mail apm@menziesdougal.co.uk
Mr Peter Fraser M.B.E.
Vice President - SBBA,
62 Fellsview Avenue,
Kirkintilloch,
Glasgow.
G66 2LX
Tel 0141 776 3395 or 07771 867874
E-mail fraserp2@tiscali.co.uk
Kenneth Crookston
Press Officer - SBBA
22 Sommers Park,
Mid Calder,
West Lothian.
EH53 0RZ
Tel 07967 805444
E-mail kennycrookston@aol.com or Kenny.crookston@laidlaw-drew.co.uk |
