Brass crowned best in Scotland
CAMPBELTOWN has the best second section brass band in Scotland.
From one of the smallest communities in the country, Campbeltown Brass’s senior contesting band won the second section at the Scottish Brass Band Association Championships at Perth Concert Hall last weekend.
The band was the youngest in its class, with members as young as 11 performing.
The competition was blind-judged, with adjudicators Mark Wilkinson and Ann Crookston unable to see the 11 bands which took it in turns to play Ex Terra Lucem, composed
by Johnny Bates.
Stephanie Mitchell is Campbeltown Brass musical director but the band was conducted by Paul Kiernan during the championship, with assistance from Charlie Farren, both from Whitburn Band, which was crowned the top championship band in Scotland at the contest.
The band’s soloists were: Kirsten Souter, principle cornet; Amy Paterson, solo horn; Hannah Oman, soprano cornet; Tanya McDonald, flugel horn; and Ali Cupples, solo euphonium.
Brass band music magazine British Bandsman, which live-Tweeted during the event, wrote of Campbeltown Brass:
‘For such a young band it’s heart-warming to hear such mature sounding soloists.
‘Another thing that separates this is that the tuning is absolutely on point and there is music making in abundance.’
The band now qualifies for the national finals of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, to be held in Cheltenham, at the Centaur, on September 15.
Campbeltown Brass will make the 13-hour journey to compete against the top performing bands from regions across the UK.
Argyll and Bute MP Brendan O’Hara contacted the band after its success to offer his congratulations.
Band manager Katrina Barr told the Courier: ‘We are extremely grateful to members who have given up their time for extra rehearsals
for their support, and parents and we are looking forward to representing Scotland in the national finals later in the year.’
The last time the band made it to the national finals, in 2016, it cost £8,000 to get there, so as much fundraising as possible will be done
in the run-up to this year’s competition to ensure that one of the most remote bands in the country can make it to the finals.