Scottish Brass Band Festival

Scottish Brass Band Festival 2010

 The Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA) has announced that the adjudicators at this year's Scottish Open Championships, to be held at Perth Concert Hall on Saturday 20 November, will sit in the open. Thought to be the first time since the demise of the National Mineworkers' Championships in Blackpool that a major test-piece contest in the UK has opted for open adjudication, the event will see a panel of three judges working separately, with their combined placings determining the final result. Speaking to British Bandsman, the SBBA's Event Manager, Peter Fraser, commented: "We at the SBBA firmly believe that the time has come to trust adjudicators, and this view, combined with the recent successful experiment at the Norwegian Championships, is among the main reasons for our decision to make the landmark change at this time." He continued: "There has been much debate in the banding press in recent months over the pros and cons of open adjudication, but we will be revealing a top-class panel of experienced musicians in due course and therefore have great confidence that this year's Scottish Open will eventually be seen as a major turning point in the contesting culture in the UK. From the competing bands' point of view, it will also allow us to carry out a pre-draw, which will help them considerably with their arrangements on the day."

GALA CONCERT

Another significant addition to the weekend, now being branded as the Scottish Brass Band Festival, is a Saturday evening gala concert and results ceremony, which this year will feature Brighouse and Rastrick Band, conducted by Richard Evans. Commenting on the decision to adopt a 'continental' approach to the event's structure, SBBA Development Officer, Alan Edmond, said: "Having made significant inroads into the development of youth banding in Scotland, and with an eye to our proposed presentation of the European Championships in Perth in 2014, we are keen to promote a change in the current culture among bandsmen, in which a relatively small amount of competitors actively participate in contests other than by performing themselves. By bringing a world-renowned band like Brighouse and Rastrick to Perth, we hope to show our current crop of young musicians exactly what they can aspire to, both in musical and entertainment terms, as well as adding to the overall sense of occasion." Speaking on behalf of Brighouse and Rastrick, the band's President, Paul Beaumont, added: "It is a particular pleasure for Brighouse and Rastrick Band to be involved with the SBBA as it continues to extend its own boundaries and those of band contesting itself. It is almost 30 years since 'B&R' appeared north of the Border and we are sure that our many supporters there will take the chance to hear the world's most entertaining band as we present an exclusive preview of our programme for the Brass in Concert Championships at The Sage Gateshead the following day."

The Scottish Brass Band Festival will be the culmination of Scottish Brass Band Week, which will run from 12-21 November, with local events taking place throughout the nation. A revamped Scottish Challenge Shield contest, also with open adjudication, for 12 leading bands in sections 1 to 4 will take place early on Saturday 20 November, and in excess of 30 bands are also expected to compete in the ever-growing Scottish Youth Brass Band Championships on Sunday 21 November.