TEN YEARS AGO Friday April 6, 2012

Wind band takes gold in London

Kintyre continues to impress at a national level and this time a local junior wind band has taken gold in London.

It was the first time in 23 years that an Argyll band qualified for the National Concert Band Festival and the Kintyre Schools Junior Band certainly did the area proud.

This is the first time the junior band has made it to the national finals, with the senior band being the last ones to make it, taking gold in 1989.

The wind band received the gold award at the regional finals in October, and got to work to raise the much-needed funds to allow the band to travel to London to compete.

The young band, made up of children from primary six to S2, played in the Dukes Hall at the Royal Academy of Music and impressed the judges.

They were playing in the Junior Band Contest for children under the age of 14 and excelled themselves; the band also boasts members from Lochgilphead.

Many of the other bands in the national final were from private schools with renowned music departments, so this is yet another accolade they can add to their belt.

Conductor Katy Welch runs the band with help from James McVicar, who is the conductor of Campbeltown Brass and once played in the junior band himself.

‘I am hugely proud of them all; they are all amazing and a credit to their parents and schools,’ said Katy.

Thanks to the efforts of the band, and generosity of the local community and businesses, the band managed to raise £5,000 in just over eight weeks to enable them to compete and travel to London.

‘It is just amazing, we still can’t believe it. I don’t think the children realised when we were in London of their achievement; it’s fantastic.

‘We would like to thank everyone who helped us to raise the funds to allow us to go, including Bradan Ltd, Campbeltown Rotary, Campbeltown Common Good Fund, Numero Dix, Jenny Black and the Co-Operative.’

Katy told the Courier the band plans to keep practising and entering competitions and work towards the regional qualifiers in October.

‘Most of the kids hadn’t been to London, let alone competed in a national competition. What an achievement for them,’ said Katy.