2010 Scottish Regional Championship - Third Section - Runners & Riders

They know a thing or two about hard work and even love in these parts and they need to be experts at both if they are to get through to Harrogate.

Saturday 13th March
Adjudicators: Brett Baker & Dave Barringer
Test Piece: Labour & Love (Percy Fletcher)
Draw: 11.00am
Commences: 12.30am

If there was a bright spot amid the contesting gloom in Harrogate last year it came in the Third Section, where Scotland’s representatives more than held their own.

Although Coalburn’s 5th place was the first top six finish for three years, the Scots representatives have been putting up a decent fight of late, even if you do have to go back to 2000 for the last time they managed to claim the National title.

Hard labour

This year the bands will have to endure a bit more hard labour if they are to get that loving feeling of a qualification place for Harrogate as Percy Fletcher’s old pot boiler will sort out them out: Age has not wearied it’s difficulty.

Brett Baker and Dave Barringer will have a pretty difficult job sorting out the bands, as on paper they all seem pretty well matched. Two bands come up from the Fourth Section and one drops down from the Second to make up the 11 band field.

The talented Richard Kidd, who puts his euph to one side to take over the reins from Bruce Wallace, will conduct Bon Accord Silver B.  They will be looking to build on an encouraging 6th place at the Scottish Challenge Cup.

Full of confidence

Brass Sounds Inverclyde meanwhile will surely come full of confidence. The 2009 Fourth Section Band of the Year and Fife winners gained promotion on the back of their 2nd place last year and went on to come 14th at Harrogate and then 4th at the Scottish Challenge Cup in Perth.

The vastly experienced Gordon Evans MBE will lead Buckhaven & Methil Miners and they will look to carry on the improving form they have shown here in the last three years, whilst Dundee Instrumental and John Tonner will be hoping to return to Harrogate for the first time since 2007, after they improved their form in coming 6th last year.

Relegation battle

John Boax will be hoping that Irvine & Dreghorn can improve on last year’s 7th place, whilst McTaggart Scott Loanhead will be hope to do the same if they are to fend off the possibility of being drawn into a relegation battle after coming 9th last time out.

Alan Fernie led Peebles Burgh to victory in the Fourth Section last year, before heading to Harrogate where they came 18th, whilst the next generation of Annan, George D, will be leading Perthshire Brass this year as they look to bounce back from their relegation from the Second Section.

Renfrew Burgh should be looking forward to this contest after coming 3rd last year and posting a very good podium finish at the Scottish Challenge Cup, whilst St David Brass will also be keen to put three years of near misses behind them and finally book their place at Harrogate after they hit fine form at the Scottish Challenge Cup by coming runner up.

Finally, there is the happy news of the return of the former Scottish Champion, Kilmarnock Concert. They won the top section title in 1979 (and this title in 1997) and returns after a year’s break under the direction of Craig Anderson.
 
As for a winner?

Quite a few of these bands are more than capable of taking the title, with Renfrew Burgh perhaps the band to beat.

St David’s Brass should finally make it to Harrogate, but they could well be pushed all the way by the likes of Bon Accord Silver, Brass Sounds Inverclyde, Dundee and Buckhaven.

Our dark horse is Kilmarnock.  
 
4BR Prediction:
1. Renfrew Burgh
2. St David’s Brass
3. Bon Accord Silver
4. Brass Sounds Inverclyde
5. Dundee Instrumental
6. Buckhaven & Methil

Dark Horse: Kilmarnock

Bon Accord Silver B
Conductor: Richard Kidd

Last 14 Years:
2009: 8th (B. Wallace)
2008: 4th (B. Wallace)
2007: 11th (B. Wallace)
2006: 2nd in Fourth Section (B. Wallace) (prom)
2005: 3rd (B. Wallace)
2004: 3rd (B. Wallace)
2003: 5th (B. Wallace)
2002: 3rd (B. Wallace)
2001: 4th (B. Wallace)
2000: 3rd (B. Wallace)
1999: 6th
1998: DNC
1997: 11th in Third Section (rel)
1996: Winners of Fourth Section (prom)

Brass Sounds Inverclyde
Conductor: Gareth Bowman

Last 14 Years:
2009: 2nd in Fourth Section (G. Bowman) (prom)
2008: 5th (A. McCorkell)
2007: 5th (A. McCorkell)
2006: 5th (A. McCorkell)
2005: 6th (A. McCorkell)

Buckhaven & Methil Miners
Conductor: Gordon Evans MBE

Last 14 Years:
2009: 5th (G. Evans MBE)
2008: 10th (G. Evans MBE)
2007: Winners of Fourth Section (R. McDonald) (prom)
2006: 12th in Third Section (R. McDonald) (rel)
2005: 10th (R. McDonald)
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 in Fourth Section (prom)
1996: 4th

Dundee Instrumental (St. Margaret's)
Conductor:  John Tonner

Last 14 Years:
2009: 6th (J. Tonner)
2008: 9th (E. Tonner)
2007: 2nd in Fourth Section (J. Tonner) (prom)
2006: 7th (J. Tonner)
2005: 5th (J. Tonner)
2004: 5th (J. Tonner)
2003: 11th in Third Section (J. Tonner) (rel)
2002: 9th (J. Tonner)
2001: 2nd in Fourth Section (J. Tonner) (prom)
2000: 7th (F. Culross)
1999: 8th
1998: DNC
1997: DNC
1996: DNC

Irvine and Dreghorn Brass
Conductor: John Boax

Last 14 Years:
2009: 7th (D. McKellar)
2008: 2nd in Fourth Section (D. McKeller) (prom)
2007: 9th in Third Section (D. McKeller) (rel)
2006: 8th (D. McKellar)
2005: 11th (D. McKellar)
2004: 3rd (J. Boax)
2003: 6th in Second Section (J. Boax) (rel)
2002: 10th (J. Boax)
2001: DNC
2000: 4th in Second Section (J. Boax)
1999: 6th
1998: 2nd in Third Section (prom)
1997: 7th in Second Section (rel)
1996: 11th

Kilmarnock Concert
Conductor: Craig Anderson

Last 14 Years:
2009: DNC
2008: 9th (A. Keachie)
2007: 8th (A. Keachie)
2006: 10th in First Section (J. Smith) (rel)
2005: 7th (A. Keachie)
2004: 2nd in Second Section (A. Keachie) (prom)
2003: 7th (A. Keachie)
2002: 6th (A. Keachie)
2001: 3rd (A. Keachie)
2000: 3rd (A. Keachie)
1999: 7th in First Section (rel)
1998: 9th
1997: Winners of Second Section (prom)
1996: Winners of Third Section (prom)

MacTaggart Scott Loanhead
Conductor: Mark Bell

Last 14 Years:
2009: 9th (R. Duff)
2008: 8th (A. Fernie)
2007: 7th (A. Fernie)
2006: 9th (A. Fernie)
2005: 8th (A. Fernie)
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

Peebles Burgh
Conductor: TBA

Last 14 Years:
2009: Winners of Fourth Section (A. Fernie) (prom)
2008: DNC
2007: 12th (D. Broadbent)
2006: 6th (D. Broadbent)
2005: 5th (D. Broadbent)
2004: DNC
2003: 2nd in Fourth Section (D. Broadbent) (prom)
2002: 5th (D. O'Connor)
2001: 10th (W. Smith)
2000: DNC
1999: DNC
1998: DNC
1997: DNC
1996: DNC

Perthshire Brass
Conductor: George D. Annan

Last 14 Years:
2009: 11th in Second Section (G. Annan) (rel)
2008: 7th (G. Annan)
2007: 2nd in Third Section (G. Annan) (prom)
2006: 7th (G. Annan)
2005: 7th (G. Annan)
2004: 7th (G. Annan)
2003: 9th (G. Annan)
2002: 8th (G. Annan)
2001: 8th (G. Annan)
2000: 10th in Second Section (G. Annan) (rel)
1999: 8th
1998: 8th
1997: 4th in Third Section (prom)
1996: 10th in Second Section (rel)

Renfrew Burgh
Conductor: David Hutchinson

Last 14 Years:
2009: 3rd (D. Hutchison)
2008: Winners of Fourth Section (D. Hutchinson) (prom)
2007: 3rd (D. Hutchinson)
2006: 10th in Third Section (D. Hutchinson) (rel)
2005: 12th in Second Section (D. Hutchinson) (rel)
2004: 11th (E. Drysdale)
2003: 4th (C. Keenan)
2002: 5th (C. Keenan)
2001: 4th (C. Keenan)
2000: 5th (C. Keenan)
1999: 10th
1998: Winners of Third Section (prom)
1997: 8th
1996: 5th

St. David's Brass
Conductor: John Dickson

Last 14 Years:
2009: 4th (J. Dickson)
2008: 3rd (J. Dickson)
2007: 4th (J. Dickson)
2006: 11th in Second Section (J. Dickson) (rel)
2005: 11th (J. Dickson)
2004: Winners of Third Section (J. Dickson) (prom)
2003: 3rd (J. Dickson)
2002: 3rd (J. Dickson)
2001: 4th (J. Dickson)
2000: 9th (J. Dickson)
1999: 7th
1998: Winners of Fourth Section (prom)
1997: 7th
1996: 11th

Past Qualifiers:

2009: Coalburn Silver, Dunfermline Town
2008: Dalkeith & Monktonhall, Annan Town
2007: Campbeltown Brass, Coalburn Silver
2006: Tullis Russell Mills, Broxburn Silver
2005: Shott's St. Patrick's, Selkirk Silver
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

Scottish bands at the Finals:

2009: 5th, 13th
2008: 7th, 10th
2007: 7th, 14th
2006: 3rd, 6th
2005: 11th, 16th
2004: 10th, 16th
2003: 12th, 13th
2002: 12th, 14th
2001: 12th, 15th
2000: 1st, 2nd
1999: 5th, 14th
1998: 3rd, 17th 

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