Conducting course is over-subscribed – to the delight of Russell Gray and Stuart Black

A group of aspiring conductors were more than happy to be given some stick by one of Britain’s foremost brass band musical directors in Scotland at the weekend.

The trainee baton wavers were attending a conducting course being run by Russell Gray and Stuart Black.

Two dozen students turned up at Bathgate Band’s rehearsal rooms in Livingston to get to grips with the finer points of conducting. Stuart led a foundation course for beginners while Russell took a class for more advanced learners.

The workshop was held annually for five years before Covid intervened and both Russell and Stuart were delighted at the attendance for this first resumed event since the pandemic.

Russell and Stuart with course participants

“This is our busiest course yet,” said a beaming Stuart. “We have been over-subscribed this year and so have had to initiate a waiting list for next year.”

Delegates were aged from 14 to the more seasoned brass banders and came from not just the UK but also Japan and Italy, emphasising the range of interest that exists in learning the art of conducting.

Russell pointed out that the focus of the course was on baton technique – what he called “the language of gesture” – and rehearsal planning and execution.

As author of the Messanoic method of conducting, he touched on this to explain how it was an important part of a musical director’s toolkit in applying building blocks to more cohesive ensemble playing.

“The method is designed to help ensembles develop a sense of togetherness in the way they respond to the music they see in front of them, helping them to cultivate a kind of hive mindset; thinking as one,” he said.

Russell had just returned from the UK where he helped prepare three bands – Princeton Brass Band, Atlantic Brass and San Francisco Brass Band – to success in different sections in the North American Brass Band Championships.

Suited and booted in readiness for the concert

Prepared to put their newly acquired conducting skills to the test in the concert

The course, which received funding from the Scottish Brass Band Association and Creative Scotland, culminated in a Sunday evening concert in Livingston’s Howden Centre in which all delegates presented and conducted a piece of music of their choosing which had been rehearsed earlier in the day.

The foundation course learners directed the Bathgate Youth Band while the advanced students led the senior Bathgate Band (below).

One of the advanced course delegates, Gareth Sykes (below), of North Lakes Brass in Keswick, was thrilled to get to the Russell Gray workshop at long last. “I’ve been waiting since before the pandemic – but it has all been so worthwhile,” said the former championship section bass trombone player.

Euphonium and bass player Jordan Tweedie (cover photo), who has been conducting Dumfries Town Band, attended the foundation course to learn the basics of stick technique. “A big thanks to Stuart Black and Russell Gray for this amazing conducting course,” he said. “I’ve had a great time, both conducting and playing, and can't wait for the next course.”