West Calder Public Band certainly enjoyed their 150th anniversary with a celebratory gala concert featuring a collective ensemble of over 70 players, as well as appearances from a pipe band and dancers, children’s choir and guests from the local British Legion and Air Force cadets.  

The evening got off to a dramatic start with the massed bands performing ‘Intrada - To a God Like This’, with players from Bathgate Band, Brass Sounds Inverclyde and Queensferry Community Brass joining West Calder to produce a wonderful fanfare under the direction of John Cunningham. 

Theme

The concert took the audience through a year in the life of a brass band, with the first part featuring music from gala days including marches ‘Gold & Silver’ and ‘Officer of the Day’. Later, the massed band performed a selection of Salvation Army music, including the challenging tone poem, ‘The Kingdom Triumphant’.

In between, the audience was treated to the delightful Linlithgow Linties, a children's community choir. The singers were as entertaining as they were talented and delivered an impressive performance beyond their years. The Edinburgh Postal Band later entertained with a magnificent sound and a varied set including the alluring ‘Highland Cathedral’.

The 'C' words

Of course it would have been impossible to portray the year in music without mentioning two 'C' words: Christmas and Concerts. 

Following a brief taster of festive music, the massed band launched into ‘Pastime With Good Company’, Disney's ‘Colours of the Wind’, featuring Victoria Robb as a vocal soloist, and ‘Glasnost’, whilst the four countries of the UK were recognised in ‘The Standard of St George’, ‘All Through the Night’, ‘Irish Tune from County Derry’ and the instrumental solo ‘Annie Laurie’, beautifully played on euphonium by West Calder’s Gary Faulds.

Dancers

The band were given a bit of a breather as the Edinburgh Postal Band took over with a group of gifted dancers who gave a mesmerising performance as the pipe band played. The pipe and brass bands then joined forces for a powerful rendition of ‘Loch Lomond’.

At this point the concert adopted a sombre mood in commemorating Remembrance Sunday. ‘Hymn to the Fallen’ set the tone while the Colour Party led in guests from the British Legion and cadets from the Livingston ATC Squadron. The ‘Last Post’ and ‘Lament’ was played to a hushed auditorium.

The ‘National Anthem’ appropriately rounded things off before the Standards and Detachment marched off and the celebratory atmosphere returned with a rendition of the quick march ‘Jubilee’ to bring things to a great climax.

Douglas Cooper