WLF meet the band: Kirkintilloch

Kirkintilloch Band is performing at the West Lothian Festival of Brass.

HOPING to coming out on top at the 2016 West Lothian Festival of Brass is the Kirkintilloch Band, conducted by John Boax.

The band enjoyed a strong performance at the Scottish Championships, finishing third, and will be looking to build on that at the contest on Sunday, June 12, in Livingston’s Howden Park Centre.

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Principal players

History

The Kirkintilloch Band was formed in 1890 with funds provided by public subscription and is still a self-supporting organisation.

Its first contesting appearances were in the 2nd section championship in 1898 and 1899 but it was not until around 1948 that the band’s contesting prowess came to light.  Kirkintilloch progressed through the sections in the 1950s and ‘60s.  The band performed at the National Championships in the Royal Albert Hall for the first time in 1968.

The appointment of Professor Walter B Hargreaves as Musical Director marked a turning point in the band’s history when it won the Scottish Championships in 1984 and 1985 under his guidance.  ‘Kirkie’, as the band is known in the banding fraternity, won the Scottish Championship in 1990 and 2002 conducted by Frank Renton.  Success at the Scottish Championships meant further appearances at the National Finals in the Royal Albert Hall and to the band competing in the European Championships in Copenhagen (1985), Wales (1986) and Rotterdam (1991) Luxembourg (1995) Bergen (2003) and Stavanger (2008)

In 2001 Kirkintilloch won the Grand Shield contest in Blackpool conducted by Alan Ramsay, which led to qualification for the British Open Championships for the first time in the band’s history.

The Kirkintilloch Band has never had the backing of a sponsor but is very grateful for the support received from East Dunbartonshire Council. Band members pay for all trips and visits to contests in various parts of the UK and Europe.

Conductor

John Boax was educated in Kilmarnock, attending James Hamilton Academy, where he began to play the cornet under the tuition of Andrew Keachie. He played in the school band, and later became a founder member of Kilmarnock Concert Brass.

In 1978 he became a peripatetic brass instructor for the Ayr division of Strathclyde, being based at Carrick Academy in Maybole. In 1980 he founded the Carrick Youth Brass Band, with whom he had many fine contest results, including two Scottish Championship wins and in 1991 becoming the European Champions, the first British band to do so.

In 1985 he was approached by Dunaskin Doon Brass Band with a view to become their Musical Director, this was the start of eight very successful years which saw the band move from 3rd section to championship status during that time. In 1993, John took the David A Hall Whitburn Band before moving to the Dalmellington Band as a conductor and player for the next 7 years. John enjoyed a return to the helm of the Dunaskin Band before taking up his current conducting role with the Irvine and Dreghorn Band, whilst continuing his cornet playing as a member of The Dalmellington Band.

John has worked with many bands across the UK, including some of the top names in the brass band world, such as Major Peter Parkes, Phillip McCann, the Childs brothers, Geoffrey Brand, Richard Evans, Paul Lovatt-Cooper, John Doyle and many others.. He is currently employed by East Ayrshire Council, where he works in two of Kilmarnock's secondary schools, maintaining his commitment to the young brass players of the future, including the organisation of many inspirational tours with his school groups to France 2005, Barcelona 2008, Lake Garda in 2010, and the Black Forrest in 2012.

John has been associated with the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland for 29 years, as a tutor with the senior band and now as the conductor of the Reserve Band, an association of which he continues to be extremely proud.