2005 Regionals: Scotland - Preview: Third Section
7-Mar-2005This should be interesting. Scottish bandsman and women playing about a drunken night out on the town? Surely none of them will have a clue what the composer is talking about?
Date: Saturday 12th March
Adjudicators: Allan Ramsey and Andy Duncan
Test Piece: Tam O'Shanter's Ride - Denis Wright
Commences: 10.30
Draw: 09.00
No photo? Please send a JPEG to: stating the conductors name, your band, your region and section.
Buckhaven & Methil Miners
Conductor: TBA
Last Nine Years:
2004: 4th (R. McDonald)
2003: 10th (B. Fraser)
2002: 6th (A. Fernie)
2001: 3rd (A. Fernie)
2000: 8th (A. Fernie)
1999: 5th
1998: 10th
1997: 2nd 4th Section (prom)
1996: 4th 4th Section
Buckhaven and Methil have been solid enough contenders in the past few years here after gaining promotion up from the Fourth Section in 1997. Only the once have they come close to gaining a qualification place since that time, when they came 3rd in 2001 and they did last year to come home in 4th place under the direction of Bob McDoanld. No news as yet has reached us to who is taking them this year though.
Campbeltown Brass
Conductor: C. Anderson
Last Nine Years:
2004: 6th (R. Farmer)
2003: 7th (G. Evans)
2002: 10th (G. Evans)
2001: DNC
2000: 6th 2nd Section (rel) (G. Evans)
1999: 10th 2nd Section
1998: 6th 2nd Section
1997: 6th 2nd Section
1996: 2nd (prom)
The talented Mr Anderson will be a busy boy this weekend when he takes his second band here in the shape of Campletown who have been coming to the contest here since 1985. They have been as high as the Second Section but after not competing in 2001 they returned to the Second Section and have been putting in fairly solid performances ever since. Another top six place may well be on the cards then or a winners pennant maybe?
Dunfermline Town
Conductor: S. Duncan
Last Nine Years:
2004: Winners Fourth Section (S. Duncan) (prom)
2003: 8th 3rd Section (S. Duncan)
2002: 7th (S. Duncan)
2001: 11th (S. Duncan)
2000: 3rd (S. Duncan)
1999: 7th
1998: 5th
1997: 3rd
1996: 10th
Another of the Fife bands on show here, Dunfermline have a record of achievement that goes way back and includes apperances here since 1977 and a victory here last year. That meant a trip down to Harrogate where they came 14th under the baton of Steven Duncan. Just the one year away then, but can they make more of a mark in the higher section here this time around?
Irvine and Dreghorn Brass
Conductor: D. McKellar
Last Nine Years:
2004: 3rd (J. Boax)
2003: 6th 2nd Section (J. Boax) (rel)
2002: 10th 2nd Section (J. Boax)
2001: DNC
2000: 4th 2nd Section (J. Boax)
1999: 6th 2nd Section
1998: 2nd 3rd Section (prom)
1997: 7th 2nd Section (rel)
1996: 11th 2nd Section
Third place last year was a fine riposte after the fall through the relegation trap door the year before, and they will surely be looking for another result just like that this time around. A new MD at the helm may give them that extra boost they need just to secure their first finals place since 1998.
MacTaggart Scott Loanhead
Conductor: A. Fernie
Last Nine Years:
2004: 5th (A. Fernie)
2003: 5th (A. Fernie)
2002: 5th (A. Fernie)
2001: 7th (D. McLeod)
2000: 11th (G. Williamson)
1999: 3rd
1998: 4th
1997: 5th
1996: 3rd
Alan Fernie has taken the band here in the last three years, but at present we do not know who will front the band for this year's contest. (Stop press - Alan conducts again) Whoever it is, they will surely be looking to just add a bit of spice into the mix to get them away from coming 5th! They have shown they can do very well here (they came 3rd in both 1996 and 1999) and they will be looking to see if they can add another Regional title to the one they won here in the Fourth Section in 1992.
Newlands Concert Brass (Bathgate)
Conductor: M. Bell
Last NineYears:
2004: 2nd Fourth Section (M. Bell) (prom)
2003: DNC
2002: 10th (W. Smith)
2001: 8th (W. Smith)
2000: 12th 3rd Section (rel) (W. Smith)
1999: 7th 3rd Section
1998: 11th 2nd Section (rel)
1997: 10th 2nd Section
1996: 9th 2nd Section
From Bathgate in West Lothian, Newlands Concert Brass has been competing here since 1990 and in that time has gone up as far as the Second Section. They have fallen away a bit since then and didn't compete in 2003, but under Mark Bell there has been a bit of a renaisance and they came runners up in the Fourth Section last year and went to Harrogate where they came 21st but by no means disgraced themselves. Out to make a mark in the higher section then once more.
Peebles Burgh
Conductor: D. Broadbent
Last Nine Years:
2004: DNC
2003: 2nd Fourth Section (D. Broadbent) (prom)
2002: 5th (D. O'Connor)
2001: 10th (W. Smith)
2000: DNC
1999: DNC
1998: DNC
1997: DNC
1996: DNC
Nice to see Peebles return this year after they failed to make it to the starting line last year. Why that was we don't know as they did so well the year before when this year's MD, Derek Broadbent was at the helm. He returns once more and will be looking to secure a good placing for the band who have a proud history here over the years but who have found it hard going in the last ten years.
Perthshire Brass
Conductor: G. Annan
Last NineYears:
2004: 7th (G. Annan)
2003: 9th (G. Annan)
2002: 8th (G. Annan)
2001: 8th (G. Annan)
2000: 10th 2nd Section (rel) (G. Annan)
1999: 8th 2nd Section
1998: 8th 2nd Section
1997: 4th
1996: 10th 2nd Section (rel)
Perthshire has a good consistent record here over the past few years, just outside the top six places since they were relegated from the Second Section in 2000. They have been coming to the contest since 1982 and have one regional title to their name when they won this section back in 1993. No other victories since then, but they will be keen to show that it is about time they added to it possibly this year.
Selkirk Silver
Conductor: R. Duff
Last Nine Years:
2004: 10th Second Section (C. Marr) (rel)
2003: 12th (C. Kemp)
2002: 4th (C. Kemp)
2001: 6th (C. Kemp)
2000: 7th (C. Kemp)
1999: 3rd
1998: 5th
1997: 5th
1996: 4th
Selkirk will be looking to make an impression here this year after falling through the relegation trap door last year when they came 10th in the Second Section under the baton of Cameron Marr. A new MD at the helm this year will be the third in as many years, but will it mean a return to good results here as it was at the end of the 1990's or are they due for a period of rebuilding.
Shotts St. Patrick'sConductor: A. Duguid
Last Nine Years:
2004: 9th Second Section (S. Kerwin) (rel)
2003: 10th (S. Kerwin)
2002: Winners 3rd Section (prom) (S. Kerwin)
2001: 6th 3rd Section ((S. Kerwin)
2000: 5th 3rd Section (B. Allan)
1999: 10th 3rd Section
1998: 10th (rel)
1997: 12th
1996: 6th
Another relegated band, Shott's were for many years conducted by Simon Kerwin who is now quite a few thousand miles away enjoying a banding life in New Zealand. After winning this section in 2002 though they found life a mite tougher in the Second Section and the return here may do them a power of good as they regroup under the new baton of Alan Duguid.
Tullis Russell Mills BandConductor: D. Neil
Last Nine Years:
2004: 8th (D. Neil)
2003: 11th 2nd Section (D.Neil) (rel)
2002: 8th (S. Barker)
2001: 2nd 3rd Section (prom) (S. Barker)
2000: 6th (J. Morahan)
1999: 7th 2nd Section (rel)
1998: 12th
1997: 10th 1st Section (rel)
1996: 8th 1st Section
Tullis came 8th last year under the baton of David Neil. Tullis have been up and down through the sections over the years - they were in the Championship Section back in 1978, but after getting back to the First Section in 1997 they have dropped back down here. The chance to start on the long road back may begin here this weekend.
Past Qualifiers:
2004: St. Davids Brass, Jedforest Instrumental
2003: Lochgelly, St. Ronan's
2002: Shotts St. Patrick's Brass, Arbroath Instrumental
2001: Clydebank Burgh, Tullis Russell Mills
2000: Livingston Brass, Kirkintilloch Kelvin Brass
1999: Turriff Silver, City of Discovery Brass
1998: Renfrew Burgh, Irvine and Dreghorn
1997: Kepston Q Fab Whitburn Brass, Annan Town
1996: Kilmarnock Concert Brass, Campbeltown Brass
1995: Barrhead and District, Newland Concert
2004: 10th, 16th
2003: 12th, 13th
2002: 12th, 14th
2001: 12th, 15th
2000: 1st, 2nd
1999: 5th, 14th
1998: 3rd, 17th
4BR Prediction:
Bands qualifying for the National Finals haven't really been making much of a mark in recent year (the last winners was back in 1999) and the representatives from Scotland can only boast one top ten place since then.
They may find it difficult to make a mark with this difficult set work as well, and although the subjest matter may be close to the hearsts of many of the perfomers here, making music out of it could be a lot more difficult.
Still a couple of bands do stick out for us, with Campbeltown Brass the ones who we think should be the band to beat if they play to recent form. Joining them in Harrogate will be a hard call, but we think it could well be a straight fight between Irvine and Dreghorn, Shotts and MacTaggart Scott Loanhead with Tullis and Peebles the ones that may make a mark. Our dark horse this time is Newland Concert Brass Bathgate.
1. Campbeltown Brass
2. Irvine and Dreghorn
3. Shott's
4. MacTaggart Scott Loanhead
5. Tullis
6. Peebles
Dark Horse: Newland Concert Brass Bathgate
