On the road to Cheltenham – Coalburn Silver and Bathgate

Coalburn Silver and Bathgate will be representing Scotland in the First Section at the National Finals.

Like all the qualifiers, Coalburn Silver has been very busy preparing in the lead up to this weekend. A huge fundraising effort for travel and accommodation has included members taking part in a sponsored Tough Mudder event, holding a quiz night and a very popular race night, selling football cards and busking in Braehead shopping centre The band has also received some very kind donations over the last few weeks.

Rehearsals on St James’s - A New Beginning have been very focused with several sectionals and one-to-one lessons with the more experienced players. A weekend workshop rehearsal and sectionals was led by Mike Fowles to which the band responded very well, picking up some brilliant tips especially about the mental preparation for contests and breathing techniques.

“Mike has been a huge support to our organisation over the years and we are so very grateful to him for his time and input,” explained Coalburn’s Catriona Squires.

The band held a joint test piece preview evening with Shotts St Patrick’s on Sunday to provide an opportunity to perform their music to a live audience. Anne Crookston was on hand to provide feedback and constructive comments on the performances.

The band will be stopping en route to Cheltenham at the Leyland Band hall for a rehearsal.

“This weekend we have a strict ban on the famous Dirty Dancing scene as there was at NYBBS this summer in which our esteemed conductor Gareth Bowman attempted, failed and broke his leg,” said Catriona. “He has managed to attend every rehearsal but one with his leg propped up on a kitchen bar stool while sat on a timpani chair!”

Coalburn’s lucky band mascots will be its three recent band babies – Paige, Jensen and one week old Watson! And there will also be the band’s usual mascot, David Fehilly – always a lucky charm!

The relatively youthful band will have its youngest member, 16 years old Zoe who has joined from Whitburn Heartlands on front row cornet, and its most senior member, president Alan Court (57), who has been with Coalburn since 1979, on Bb bass.

“We are all really looking forward to the Nationals and are rearing to go!” added Catriona. “Good luck to all the bands competing. Mon the Coalburn!”

As soon as Bathgate qualified for the National Finals, the committee got together to discuss different ways to try and raise extra cash to get to Cheltenham. This included taking on extra gala days, staging quiz nights, selling football cards and even holding virtual hot air balloon races!

“The commitment from the band has been brilliant and the support from the public fantastic,” said Bathgate secretary Scott Logan. “We've also received some great backing from our local council which has helped enormously.”

Since the summer break, the band has really enjoyed working on the test piece which features some great moments and hints of well-known music splashed throughout. “At the moment our band hall has pictures of the Great Fire, Sir Christopher Wren and St James's all over the walls,” explained Scott. “We do this quite a lot with our test piece work as we feel it helps to create a visual representation of the music and style we want to achieve in the performance – as well as covering a few cracks in the wall!”

The band will travel by bus down to Bromsgrove on Friday where the players and MD Craig Anderson will stay for the weekend. “It's a bit further out from Chelmsford but the hotel is great and offers really good rehearsal and relaxation space for the band. We'll be taking quite a few supporters down with us too.”

One of the key elements of the Bathgate Band over the years is its willingness to give youth a chance. Around seven members of the band are 21 years or under with the youngest player, Sally Ross on cornet, who is only 15. For all of them it will be their first taste of the National Finals and they’re all are really looking forward to the experience.

As well as youth the band has some tried and trusted campaigners, the oldest being Morris Whithead on Bb bass at the spritely age of 73!

Scott added: “Whatever happens, the Bathgate band family will be going to the 2023 National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain very well prepared and extremely proud to represent Scotland in Cheltenham.”