There is sure to be two keen days of competitive action to enjoy in Perth this weekend (7th & 8th March) with the 2026 Scottish Championship. First held in 1895 (half a century before the Areas in England and Wales) it sees a welcome increase in numbers this year.
54 competitive bands and five non-competitive ensembles will perform in their bid to be crowned Scottish Champion and represent the nation not only at the National Finals in London and York, but also at the European Championships in Montreux in 2027.
Saturday and Sunday
Saturday will kick-off at 9.30am with action in the Third, Second and First Sections, whilst the following day it will see great music from the Fourth Section contenders (9.30am), followed non-competitive ensembles in Section 4b and the Championship Section battle.
Qualifiers
Two bands in the First, Second, Third and Fourth Sections will be invited to make the trip south to Cheltenham in September, whilst two bands in addition to the pre-qualified Whitburn will be invited to head to the Royal Albert Hall in October.
In addition, the band that wins the Championship Section title will be invited to represent the nation at the 2027 European Championships in Switzerland. The defending champion is Whitburn (above).
Tickets:
Admission is £16.50 / £12.50, payable on the day in the foyer of the Perth Concert Hall or from the theatre online ticket office:
https://www.perththeatreandconcerthall.com/whats-on/scottish-brass-band-championships
Championship Section:
Set Work: Elgar Variations (Martin Ellerby)
Adjudicators: Chris King; John Doyle
Bon-Accord Silver (Adam Cooke)
Bo'ness & Carriden (Phil Chalk)
Coalburn Silver (Gareth Bowman)
Dalmellington (Erik Janssen)
Granite City Brass (Raymond Tennant)
Kingdom Brass (Eoin Tonner)
Kirkintilloch (Chris Binns)
Newtongrange Silver (Anne Crookston)
the cooperation band (Dr Glenn Van Looy)
Whitburn (Florent Didier)
First Section:
Set Work: Variations on 'Was Lebet' (Andrew Wainwright)
Adjudicators: Chris King; John Doyle
Bathgate (Craig Anderson)
Dalkeith & Monktonhall (James Chamberlain)
Dunaskin Doon (Chris Bradley)
Jedforest Instrumental (Philip Rosier)
Kirkintilloch Kelvin Brass (Mareika Gray)
Lochgelly (Chris Shanks)
Newmains & District (Paul McKelvie OBE)
Newmilns & Galston (Alan Friel)
Perthshire Brass (Willie McMullan)
Unite Scotland Kinneil (Allan Ramsay)
Second Section:
Set Work: 20,000 Leagues under the Sea (Philip Harper)
Adjudicators: Alan Duguid; Phillip Littlemore
Annan Town (Lewis Wilkinson)
Broxburn & Livingston (Stephen Malcolm)
Campbeltown Brass (Owen Pickering)
Clackmannan District (Paul Drury)
Croy Silver (Kenneth Blackwood)
Highland Brass (Bruce Wallace)
Irvine & Dreghorn (Joshua Parkhill)
Johnstone (Raymond Tennant)
Renfrew Burgh (Mark Good)
Shotts St Patrick's (Charlie Farren)
Tullis Russell Mills (John-Luke Harris)
Third Section:
Set Work: Three Haworth Impressions (Gordon Langford)
Adjudicators: Chris King; John Doyle
Arbroath & Carnoustie (Neill McDonald)
Brass Sounds Inverclyde (Caroline Tennant)
Buckhaven & Methil Miners (Steven Craig)
Kilmarnock Concert Brass (Rebecca Wilson Paterson)
Langholm Town (Chris Bradley)
Peebles Burgh Silver (David McAuley)
Selkirk Silver (Stuart Black)
St David's Brass (John A Dickson)
St Ronan's Silver (Michael Marzella)
Stranraer Brass (Angela Miller)
Fourth Section:
Set Work: Indian Summer (Eric Ball)
Adjudicators: Alan Duguid; Phillip Littlemore
Barrhead Burgh (Alan Friel)
Bon-Accord B (Harry Marshall)
Coalburn Intermediate (Gareth Bowman)
Dundee Instrumental (Bob McDonald)
Dunfermline City Brass (Paul Dickens)
Dysart Colliery Silver (Robert Fraser)
Hawick Saxhorn (Greig Murray)
Irvine & Dreghorn Community Brass (John Boax)
Kirkton Brass Bathgate (Paul McKelvie OBE)
MacTaggart Scott Loanhead (Amy Paterson)
Penicuik Silver (Jess Purbrick)
Turriff Silver (Matt Bailey)
Whitburn Heartlands (Peter Holmes)
Section 4b: (non-competing)
Adjudicator: Joshua Parkhill
Brass Central Strathearn (Tom Smith)
Broxburn & Livingston Future (Jim Bone)
Clackmannan District Youth & Development (Luci Lamb)
Forfar Instrumental (Donald Innes)
Montrose Town (Rosie Martin)
