Connecting during the Corona crisis – Creetown Silver Band

In our continuing series on how Scottish bands are staying connected during the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s the turn of Creetown Silver Band to be featured:

In 1880 six quarrymen from the local granite works raised £20 to purchase 20 brass instruments to change a flute band into the Creetown Silver Band and just a year later it was ready to appear in public.

In the following years, the fortunes of the band mirrored those of the granite trade. It was in the first quarter of the 20th century that the band became very successful locally, winning several contests in Dumfries and Galloway as well as the north of England.

A star player at this time was principal cornet player Mr William Barr who later moved to the U.C.B.S prize band in Glasgow. The bandmaster for some of this period was Mr Felix Slevin who became a leading light in the London music publishing business.

The band continued to perform through the years while surviving several crises. It again started to compete at the championships in 1984 under Stuart McNab, culminating in a second place and a trip to the finals in London in 1990.

The band has not competed for a few years but still has a busy schedule with more than 25 engagements per year.

The most famous player to come from the band is John Gracie, former principal trumpet with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, who started at Creetown at the age of nine and still keeps a connection with the band.

In the present situation, members have been keeping in touch through Messenger and Facebook.

• Let us know about your band. Tell us about some of your successes, when you were founded, where and when you rehearse (when things are back to normal), and how your members are coping during the Coronavirus emergency situation.

Just send a couple of photos and a short write-up to Nigel Martin at sbbapr@gmail.com