Whitburn players take up the baton in open rehearsal

Four members of Whitburn Band will be players and conductors when five bands stage an open rehearsal on Friday evening ahead of this weekend’s Scottish Championships.

As well as Whitburn, under the baton of Professor Nicholas Childs, Whitburn Heartlands will be conducted by MD Andrew McMillan (solo horn), Langholm Town by Chris Bradley (principal cornet), Lochgelly by solo euphonium Chris Shanks, and Bo’ness & Carriden by trombonist Charlie Farren in the event at West Calder High School.

The open rehearsal begins at 7pm and is free to attend. The following works will be rehearsed and performed by the bands:

Variations on an Enigma (Philip Sparke), High Peak (Eric Ball), Corineus (Christopher Bond) and Music for Jock Tamson (Alan Fernie).

Friday evening will also see an open rehearsal by Johnstone Band and the cooperation band with conductors Dr Glenn Van Looy and Joshua Parkhill respectively.

This is another chance to hear two fantastic test pieces – Variations on an Enigma and High Peak – before the bands head to Perth. The event will be held at the Salvation Army Hall in Rutherglen.

Coalburn Silver Band is holding an open rehearsal on its test piece Variations on an Enigma tomorrow evening (7 March) at Coalburn Church, starting at 7.45pm.

Contest preview events have also been held by Johnstone Band, Brass Sounds Inverclyde, Unison Kinneil and The Kirkintilloch Band during the buildi-up to the Scottish Championships, to name just a few.