The growing success of the Scottish Open Brass Band Championships has led to the announcement by the Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA) that the adjudicators at this year’s event will sit in the open.

Panel of three

In a decision that the organisers believe will show their desire to make the Scottish Open one of the leading contests of the brass band year, the event will see a panel of three judges working separately, with their combined placings determining the final result.

Landmark change

SBBA’s Event Manager, Peter Fraser, told 4BR: "We believe that the time has come to trust adjudicators, and this view, combined with the recent successful experiment at the Norwegian Championships, is among the main reasons for our decision to make the landmark change."

He added: "There has been much debate in recent months over the pros and cons of open adjudication, but we will be revealing a top-class panel of experienced musicians and have great confidence that this year’s Scottish Open will eventually be seen as a major turning point in the contesting culture in the UK."

...we have great confidence that this year’s Scottish Open will eventually be seen as a major turning point in the contesting culture in the UKSBBA Event Manager, Peter Fraser

Brighouse & Rastrick

The event is now branded as the Scottish Brass Band Festival, and will also feature Brighouse and Rastrick performing at the Gala Concert, just 24 hours before their appearance at Brass in Concert.

SBBA Development Officer, Alan Edmond, told 4BR: "Having made significant progress with the development of youth banding in Scotland, and with an eye to our proposed presentation of the European Championships in Perth in 2014, we are keen to promote a change in the current culture among bandsmen, in which a relatively small amount of competitors actively participate in contests other than by performing themselves."

Festival

The Scottish Brass Band Festival will be the culmination of Scottish Brass Band Week, which will run from 12th November.

A revamped Scottish Challenge Shield contest, also with open adjudication in Sections 1 to 4, will take place early on Saturday 20th November, and in excess of 30 bands are also expected to compete in the growing Scottish Youth Brass Band Championships the following day.