A little piece of Spring Festival history was created by Kirkintilloch's victory in the Senior Cup, as they became the first Scottish band to claim the title since the contest was renamed in 1952.

Their long celebratory journey home to East Dunbartonshire on Sunday morning came after an accomplished rendition of 'Ballet for Band' under Martyn Ramsay saw them lift the ornate trophy in triumph ahead of fellow promotion qualifiers Rainford, Tongwynlais Temperance and East London Brass.

Rejuvenation

It marked the latest phase in their musical rejuvenation — one that in the last couple of years has seen victories at the Scottish Challenge Shield and First Section Scottish Championship to regain their top flight status, as well as the recent success of claiming a place at the Royal Albert Hall National Final for the first time since 2013.

The solid foundation work laid by Hedley Benson has been further built on by Martyn (with Chris Binns taking them at the Scottish Championship), with a confident band now able to look ahead not only to London in October but a first Grand Shield appearance since 2017.

Not even a Birmingham downpour could dampen their spirits as horn player Alan Wardrope tucked the Senior Trophy under his jacket to make a balletic leap to the nearest bar with his fellow players for what was to be a long night of toasts and tributes — the wonderful sore-headed aftermath of which was to be found on their Facebook page.

Dedicated victory

The next day he told 4BR: "We are absolutely delighted of course, but we all wished that our great friend Peter Fraser MBE could have been here to celebrate with us. He was the heart and soul of the band and since his passing it's been tough, but every rehearsal, concert, contest appearance he's been in our hearts and this victory is dedicated to him."

No one would begrudge those sentiments from a band that under a decade ago had to withdraw from contesting for a short while. With Peter's indefatigable spirit and the dedication of the likes of Alan and other stalwart Kirky players, one of Scottish banding's biggest names is re-establishing itself in the top-flight spotlight.

Speaking to MD Martyn Ramsay after they had performed, he said that there was now "a great spirit in the band" and that things "have just clicked since January this year". He also revealed that Joseph Horovitz's work for him was about "painting pictures, elegant lines and bits of darkness, with character the term we kept coming back to time and time again."

Sterner test

It was also achieved on a score whose deceptive questioning of refinement and elegance in musical characterisation (deliberately left to the imagination of the conductors by the composer) proved to be a much sterner test than many expected.

43 years after it was first used at the National Finals its dry-witted bite cloaked in a lyrical musical prose (even down to a tiny 'introducing' second baritone motif) saw the unwary or uninformed stumble through performances that at times sounded more pantomime than balletic in execution — something not lost on judges David Hirst and Lt Col Lauren Petritz-Watts.

In her precise pre-results analysis, Lauren said that due to its compositional age, it would have been "easy to under estimate" a piece that was essentially "a series of ballet scenes".

It was also one she added that needed consideration from the conductor to gain the clarity of "understanding of musical direction" of the melodic lines, phrasing, dynamic contrast and characterisation to make the work "coherent in its totality".

Huge variety

The best did that she said, whilst those who fell down, "didn't think to the finish", resulting in a loss of control in the later stages. "A huge variety" of performances were heard. The inference was not lost on the audience.

Speaking to 4BR later, David added that the top few bands were "very close", but that it was the "fine detail and consistency" that stood the best, and winners from the rest with "nuance and style".

Those detailed appreciations were certainly echoed in their immediate written remarks on the winners. David called it "well presented material" with "good musical touches from the MD", whilst Lauren summed up her findings by describing its as a "musical and coherent performance".

On a contest day when others fell into the trap of over-emphasising imaginary character traits which lost the refinement of the Horovitz score through harsh tonality and stylistic heavy handedness, it was a delight to hear.

Light touch

Their fellow Grand Shield qualifiers also displayed a light touch descriptive feel to the score, with Rainford and Tongwynlais playing immediately before and after the winner and East London Brass rounding off the contest.

MDs Adam Taylor, Owen Farr and Jayne Murrill tailored their approaches with consideration; the solid ensemble, dynamic layering and neatly observed differences in style, enhanced by classy solo leads — none more so than the excellent flugel playing of Liv Richardson of Rainford who took the 'Best Soloist' award.

The tender appreciations of the central section were shaped by tasteful rubato and expression, whilst the Allegro finales in particular grew little by little rather than by turbo charged boost to its waspish conclusion.

Progress

Although Shepherd Brass and Boarshurst Silver missed out, their top-six finishes further endorsed the progress they continue to make under their MDs Richard Wilton and Martyn Evans (Boarshurst having won the Senior Trophy in 2025).

Elsewhere, disappointment you suspect though for two of the pre-contest favourites of Verwood Concert Brass and Derwent Brass. The Albert Hall finalists failed to find favour in the box, with the former's performance blighted by a few too many errors and the latter's arguably the most idiosyncratic interpretation of the day. Sandwiched between them came a solid account from Haverhill.

After that it was a question of consistency with the likes of Thundersley down to Dalmellington, whilst the quartet of Tylorstown, Woodfalls, Marsden Silver and Ashton under Lyne didn't play to their usual form to fall through the relegation trap door to the Senior Trophy.

Resolved

As for the contest day experience itself for the bands, some logistical rather than musical challenges remain to be resolved if it is to remain amid the excellent stage surroundings of Town Hall, Birmingham.

4BR was informed time and again that the less than refined changing facilities that saw bands having to use an outdoor marquee were not ideal by any means, although the players were very appreciative of the work of Richard Milton's contest team.

Malcolm Wood

He also revealed that the work for him was about "painting pictures, elegant lines and bits of darkness, with character the term we kept coming back to time and time again"MD, Martyn Ramsay speaking to 4BR

Result:

Senior Cup

Test Piece: Ballet for Band (Joseph Horovitz)
Adjudicators: David Hirst; Lt Col. Lauren Petritz-Watts

1. Kirkintilloch (Martyn Ramsay)*
2. Rainford (Adam Taylor)*
3. Tongwynlais Temperance (Owen Farr)*
4. East London Brass (Jayne Murrill)*
5. Shepherd Group Brass (Richard Wilton)
6. Boarshurst Silver (Martyn Evans)
7. Verwood Concert Brass (Kevin Smith)
8. Haverhill Silver (Paul Filby)
9. Derwent Brass (Jack Capstaff)
10. Thundersley (Melvin White)
11. Easington Colliery (Graeme Tindall)
12. Unite the Union (Jonathan Beatty)
13. Skelmanthorpe (Jonathan Bates)
14. Enderby (Gareth Westwood)
15. Wingates (Matthew Ryan)
16. Dalmellington (Chris Shanks)
17. Tylorstown (Andrew Jones)
18. Woodfalls (Michael Fowles)
19. Marsden Silver (Leigh Baker)
20. Ashton-under-Lyne (Paul Lovatt Cooper)

Best Soloist Award: Liv Richardson (flugel) — Rainford

* Promoted to Grand Shield