Coalburn's delight at 2016

Members of the Coalburn Brass Band family are busy with a healthy list of engagements.

THE Coalburn organisation has reflected on a successful 12 months on all fronts as it prepares to welcome in the New Year.

One of the highlights of the year for the Silver Band arrived at the Scottish Championships, held at Perth Concert Hall. Under the baton of MD Gareth Bowman the band was drawn first from 12 bands in its section and impressed the adjudicators enough to win the competition and be crowned 2^nd Section Scottish Champions. The following day, the Coalburn Intermediate Band conducted by Kyle MacCorquodale took to the stage to perform its concert programme in Section 4B, receiving glowing remarks from adjudicator, John Boax.

At the end of April, the Silver Band also performed in the 90th Birthday Concert for the Lanark Memorial Hall. The band performed alongside Lanark & District Pipe Band, The Choir of St Mary’s, Lanark Grammar School Drama Department, ICE, LAMS and the Lanark Panto Club where proceeds were donated to Poppy Scotland.

May was a busy month for concerts, firstly the Bronze and Silver Bands performed in Livingstone Memorial Church in Blantyre. The theme was A Night at the Movies. The Silver Band also performed a concert programme at an Open Day at Low Parks Museum in Hamilton before being joined at the beginning of June by the Intermediate Band when it took its movie themed concert to East Kilbride Old Parish Church.

Five members of the band took part in the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland’s summer course, with Anna Biggart earning promotion to the senior band for 2017.

Coalburn also welcomed Dávur Juul Magnussen, principal trombone of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra to host an open day. The event was held in Lesmahagow and the bands worked in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council Instrumental Services and Besson. The focus of the day was on inspiring the young players with an emphasis on recruitment.

With the New Year approaching, Coalburn continues to look out for new members to join its silver, bronze and intermediate bands along with its percussion academy.

The Silver Band has vacancies for a tutti solo cornet and a soprano cornet player. It rehearses on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7.45 – 9.45pm.

The Intermediate Band would also welcome bass, baritone and cornet players to get in touch, meeting on a Monday evening from 7 until 9pm.

More information is available by logging on to the Coalburn website or emailing secretary@coalburnsilverband.co.uk