Whitburn’s four new signings ahead of Scottish Championships

Whitburn Band has welcomed four new signings in time for its appearance at the Scottish Brass Band Championships next month.

Baritone player Charlie Boax and trombonist Emma Close joined the band at the end of last year. Cornetists Ailish Gracie and Reece Ward-Murray complete the line-up.

Charlie, daughter of SBBA president Carrie Boax and education officer John Boax, the respected conductor and brass teacher, has been appointed principal baritone. She has transferred from Irvine & Dreghorn Brass where she learned to play from the age of three.

She is the current principal baritone of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS) and has been a Scottish solo champion in the ‘under-12’ and ‘intermediate’ age categories.

Evelyn Bradley, the vastly experienced performer with Whitburn, who has served for many years as principal euphonium and principal baritone, moves to second baritone to support Charlie.

Emma joins Whitburn on second trombone. A former player with Verwood Concert Brass, she has been a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

The daughter of Elaine Close, the former BBC Philharmonic trumpet player, Emma has just been appointed principal trombone of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. She replaces Robyn Anderson, a fellow student at the Royal Conservatoire, who leaves Whitburn to concentrate on her final year of studies in Glasgow.

Ailish, who also studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, has joined Whitburn’s solo cornet team. The former member of Arbroath Instrumental, Dundee Instrumental and Kirkintilloch Kelvin bands, she started playing a decade ago under the tutelage of her grandad, conductor Robert McDonald, and has always looked up to her uncle Paul McDonald, the Fodens solo cornet player

Reece completes the quartet of signings, joining Whitburn on third cornet. He played with Peebles Burgh Silver Band for ten years before transferring to Newtongrange where he worked his way from the back row to the bumper-up chair under the guidance of the band’s principal cornet player Angus Edmond.  

He has also performed with The Kirkintilloch Band as assistant principal cornet.

Whitburn chairman Charlie Farren said: “Everyone at Whitburn would like to welcome Charlie, Emma, Ailish and Reece to our band. They join at an exciting time ahead of the Scottish Championships and then our participation at the European Championships in Malmo, Sweden.

“We thank Robyn for her time with the band and wish her every success in the future, and also Evelyn for her years of great service – with such enormous experience, she continues to be such an invaluable player for our band.”