Croy Silver, Newmains and Kirkie take the top honours on Day One of the Scottish Championships

It’s the end of Day One at this year’s Scottish Championships in Perth and it’s been a cracker of a day with some outstanding playing.

First band on the Concert Hall stage at this year’s regional qualifying contest for the 2024 National Band Championships of Great Britain was Dysart Colliery who had drawn no.1 in the Third Section, playing Christopher Bond’s Corineus.

Adjudicators for this section were Tom Davoren and Chris King who decided that Croy Silver Band’s performance under the baton of Kenneth Blackwood was deserving of the top silverware.

Taking second place was Perthshire Brass (Willie McMullan) and in third spot was newly-promoted Highland Brass (Mark Bell).

The full Third Section results were:

1. Croy Silver Band (Kenneth Blackwood) 190 pts

2. Perthshire Brass (Willie McMullan) 188pts

3. Highland Brass (Mark Bell) 186pts

4. Brass Sounds Inverclyde (Joshua Parkhill) 185pts

5. St. Ronan’s Silver Band (Chris Shanks) 183pts

6. Peebles Burgh Silver Band (Vaughan Fleischfresser) 181pts

7. Langholm Town Band (Chris Bradley) 180pts

8. Dysart Colliery Silver Band (Robert Fraser) 179pts

9. Penicuik Silver Band (Alan Fernie) 178pts

Peebles Burgh Silver Band principal cornet Ian Aitchison won the best instrumentalist prize.

The adjudicators’ remarks and results were livestreamed on the SBBA YouTube channel and can be found here.

Helen Douthwaite-Teasdale and Stan Lippeatt were judging the Second Section bands’ performances of Triptych by Philip Sparke. Eleven bands took to the stage but it was Newmains & District, directed by Paul McKelvie MBE, which took the fancy of the adjudicators.

Runners-up were Broxburn & Livingston (Bryan Allen) and taking third place was Clackmannan District (Paul Drury).

The full results from the Second Section were:

1. Newmains & District (Paul McKelvie MBE) 188pts
2. Broxburn & Livingston (Bryan Allen) 186pts
3. Clackmannan District (Paul Drury) 184pts
4. Jedforest Instrumental (Philip Rosier) 183pts
5. Campbeltown Brass (Andrew McMillan) 182pts
6. Annan Town (Lewis Wilkinson) 181pts
7. Shotts St Patrick's (Andy Shaw) 180pts
8. Kilmarnock Concert Brass (Rebecca Wilson) 179pts
9. St David's Brass (John A Dickson):178pts
10. Renfrew Burgh (Mark Good) 177pts
11. Selkirk Silver (Simon Railton) 176pts

The best instrumentalist prize went to Mark Howarth, soprano with Broxburn & Livingston.

Adjudicators’ comments and results were livestreamed on the SBBA YouTube channel and can be accessed here.

Last section of the day was the First Section with nine bands playing High Peak by Eric Ball. Adjudicators Tom Davoren and Chris King returned to the box to judge the performances of this classic test piece.

At the end of the day, it was the rendition of The Kirkintilloch Band, conducted by Hedley Benson, which caught the adjudicators’ ear, earning them a well-deserved promotion back to the Championship Section.

Granite City Brass (Bruce Wallace) took the creditable runner-up prize and Bo’ness & Carriden (Charlie Farren) completed the podium places in third.

The full results from the First Section were:

1. The Kirkintilloch Band (Hedley Benson) 192pts

2. Granite City Brass (Bruce Wallace) 190pts

3. Bo'ness & Carriden Band (Charlie Farren) 189pts

4. Dunaskin Doon Band (Ralph Brill) 187pts

5. Newtongrange Silver Band (Anne Crookston) 186pts

6. Lochgelly Band (Chris Shanks) 184pts

7. Johnstone Band (Joshua Parkhill) 182pts

8. Newmilns and Galston Brass Band (Alan Friel) 181pts

9. Irvine and Dreghorn Brass (John Boax) 180pts

Allan Wardrope of The Kirkintilloch Band was the best horn and the prize for the best instrumentalist was awarded to Alan Wilson of Granite City Brass

The adjudicators’ remarks and the results were livestreamed on the SBBA YouTube channel which you can view here.

The first two bands in each section qualify for an invitation to the National Finals in Cheltenham on the weekend of 14/15 September.

Join us tomorrow for another day of entertaining competitive banding, starting at 9.30am with the Fourth Section. You can follow online reporting by Mark Good on the SBBA Facebook page.

* Cover photo of Kirkie members celebrating their win by 4barsrest