News from 2006

Mull of Kintyre Air Show    22/07/06

We played at the highly successful Mull of Kintyre Airshow on the Saturday Afternoon. The weather was gorgeous, with plenty of people out and about at RAF Machrihanish viewing all the attractions, as well as the vintage planes and cars, and also the more modern planes and stunt bikes.

Grand Summer Concert    21/07/06

We held our summer concert in the Masonic Lodge on Friday 21st July. Starting off the concert, the Junior Band played their set with pieces such as Beatles Gold, Amazing Grace, Daniel and a few others. Then two of our newest members, Amilia Chute and Georgia Nicholson showed off the duet, Lightly-Row that they'd been learning.

Charlie Farren conducted the Beginners Group, (although they're also known as "Andy's Army" after all the hard work Andy Oliver puts into teaching them!). The Quintet then took to the stage, and after they had played their pieces, it was time for juice and crisps, and teas and coffees for everybody at the interval!

The Contest band opened up the 2nd half with their set of about 8 or 9 pieces, featuring the likes of Gonna Fly Now, When We're Sixty-Four, Over the Rainbow (horn soloist Lynne Campbell), Skirl, An American Trilogy, and Rocking Trombones, which featured the 4 Bass Trombones we had playing!! With the raffle and all the donations received, the concert raised over £300 for band funds.

Special thanks go to the Lochgelly Band's Stewart Hepburn (on cornet) and Brian Johnston (on bass trombone), the Co-op's Charlie Farren (who was playing 1st trombone for one night only!!) and Alison Hall (on horn) from Dunfermline who all came down for the weekend and helped us out.

Church Service at Penniver    16/07/06

We had a small band played at the combined Church service at Penniver village. A few of the younger members were also playing in the band, as we accompanied the singers through the service.

Summer Holiday Lessons

As part of our Tuition Grant we received earlier in the year, we will manage to offer 2 days of lessons to our members every week over the summer holidays, until they go back to school in August. They will be taken by either Craig Anderson, Charlie Farren or another brass teacher on a one-to-one lesson basis, and this will hopefully keep up the high standard of playing during the holidays. Craig and Charlie will also be taking both bands for rehearsals when they are down every week.

Katrina joins the Scottish Co-op for the day!    08/07/06

Katrina travelled to Glasgow to help out the Scottish Co-op Band play in the Lord Provost's Procession, through the middle of the city. She was back playing on her old baritone and had to sight-read the 6 or 7 marches that the band played through the streets, although by the end, she was starting to complain that her feet were slightly sore after marching so much!!!

August 2006

Land O' Burns Contest    26/08/06

Campbeltown Brass travelled to Troon to compete in the Land O' Burns Entertainment contest. We had a tough draw, with Coalburn Band before us and then Championship bands, Unison Kinneil and Whitburn playing after us. We played Cornish Cavalier, Overture from Music from the Royal Fireworks, Over the Rainbow (Horn Soloist Lynne Campbell), Mission Impossible and American Trilogy. We thought we'd played well and although knowing some parts of our performance were alittle rocky, we were disappointed with ending up 15th. Hopefully we can achieve a better result next week at "Brass in the Park".

Special thanks to David Hall from Dunfermline Band, who guested with us on 3rd cornet. Willie got an SOS call at the last minute to play for Unison Kinneil who were a BBb Bass short.

Mull of Kintyre Music Festival

We held our annual coffee morning in the Town Hall on Saturday 19th August. The band played outside in the street to temp the many coffee drinkers inside, to where we had our large baking, bottle, raffle and bric a brac stalls on offer. We were also running a big raffle over the weekend with top prize a much sought after Survivors ticket and 2nd prize of 6 litres of Alcoholic spirits!! Well done to Douglas Mitchell in winning the ticket. 

In the afternoon we had a stall set up for festivites at the "Doon the Green" event. We had our 2 "Beat the Buzzer" games and our young tuba player, Scott McAlistair had his "Splat the Rat" game! We continued with getting entries for the Big Raffle, as there was plenty of people about for the fund raising committee to grab money off them!! Altogether we raised over £1300 for band funds over the highly successful Music Festival weekend.

Balloon Race Result!

The furthest travelled balloon from our recent competition was to Kirkcaldy!! The owner of the winning balloon was Tricia Lafferty, 167 Ralston Road and she receives a bottle of Famous Grouse Whisky.

Campbeltown Brass Members Attend NYBBS     1/08/06

Monday 31st July to Saturday 5th August saw the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS) gather in St Andrews. It was the 49th summer course, and is always an extremely enjoyable week for all the members taking part. Over 20 players from Campbeltown Brass made the journey.

The tutoring staff came from all over Britain, included Lesley Howie (Leyland), Bryan Taylor (Fairies), John Barber (Fodens), Lyndon Baglin, Archie Hutchison and Campbeltown Brass’ Musical Director Craig Anderson, who was tutoring the bass section. The band was under the superb direction of the flamboyant Richard Evans, who never fails to bring out the best in the performers.

In the reserve band, Erin McSporran was Principal Cornet, and other members also received high positions. In the main NYBBS band, Campbeltown Brass members were again successful. Among them was Mark Good who was Principal Bass Trombone, and former Principal Cornet with Campbeltown Brass, Hazel Barr, was awarded the prestigious Principal Cornet seat. Well done Hazel!

Due to the huge numbers of applicants for the NYBBS, a Reserve Band course runs in addition to the main band. Again, the tutorial staff were talented players in their own right, including Charlie Farren (bass trombone, Scottish Co-op and a friend of Campbeltown Brass.) The Reserve band was jointly conducted, as always, by Gordon Evans and John Boax. Both men put in vast amounts of effort, and were honoured by SAMA at the Reserve band concert for 21 years of excellent service to the band.

The week in St Andrews is filled with playing, but everyone always makes the most of their free time as well! There was also time to fit in informal concerts, football tournaments and solo competitions. In the Reserve band solo comp, Lorna Armour from Campbeltown Brass finished in 3rd place, quite an achievement, and her place was decided by the famous Geoffrey Whitham.

The NYBBS were honoured to be in the presence of two legends of the brass band world, Geoffrey Whitham (a hugely respected conductor and adjudicator and former principal euphonium of the Black Dyke Band for 13 years) and Maurice Murphy (former principal cornet of the Black Dyke Band and current principal trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra, a post he has held for over 20 years.) Both men talked with the band, sharing some of their amazing experience.

Both the NYBBS and the Reserve band held their end of course concerts in the Younger Hall, St Andrews. The quality of both bands seems to defy the odds each year by rising and rising. The pieces played by the NYBBS band were all expertly played and included Fingal’s Cave, The Lady is a Tramp (featuring the horn section), Concerto Grosso (a piece commissioned for NYBBS),  1712 Overture (yes, not quite what it seems!), Barney’s Tune (featuring the bass trombone section) and Salute to Youth.

Congratulations to everyone who took part in NYBBS 2006, and to Neil Cross, the house staff, tutorial staff and Richard Evans for making the week and concert so special.

By Mark Good.

Success for Campbeltown Brass at "Brass in the Park"!   4/09/06

We travelled to Newtongrange, near Edinburgh at the weekend to compete at the annual "Brass In the Park" competition. This contest, held in a tented village within Newtongrange Park, draws bands from all over Scotland to compete for a total prize fund of £3500, with each band having to play their own choice March, Hymn tune and solo pieces.

Drawn late in the day, we took to the stage and played Cornish Cavalier, Over the Rainbow (soloist Lynne Campbell) and Hymn tune, St Magnus. Adjudicators for the day were world-renowned Tuba Soloist, Steve Sykes who adjudicated the band contest and Trumpet player, Nigel Boddice who was adjudicating the soloists.

After the short massed bands concert, Steve Sykes placed the band 4th in the Open contest, which also won us best 3rd Section Band and best Youth Band. Nigel Boddice also awarded the Junior soloist prize to Lynne Campbell for her lovely solo playing of Over the Rainbow on the tenor horn. With finishing higher that nine other adult bands and also two 2nd section bands, the band came away in high spirits as we prepare for their next competition, representing Scotland at the "Pontins Brass Band Championships" in North Wales, in November.

Special thanks to Kirsty Galbraith from Irvine and Dreghorn and Claire McVicar for guesting with us at the contest.

October

Whitburn Stars take rehearsal weekend    26/10/06

We invited a few of players from Whitburn Band down to Campbeltown for a weekends rehearsal and sectionals, to help prepare the band for the forth-coming "Pontins Brass Band Championships" in Prestatyn, North Wales, in a couple of weeks time. Graham Fraser, Robert Fraser, Scott Walker, Scott Forrest and Rhona Barr spent Saturday working with the sections of the band, going over the test-piece, "Episodes for Brass". Robert also took part of band practice on the Friday night, to get them all familiarised with the piece, so they knew what task lay ahead off them! The boys also took a few of the beginners for some lessons to finish off Saturday.

After a socialable night out on the Saturday night, the boys agreed to take part on Mark Good's "Brass Band Show", on Argyll FM, on the Sunday morning, where they talked about what they'd done over the weekend with the players, and introduced some tracks from Whitburn's CD collection. The boys stayed at Willie Ralston's farm over the weekend, and got to find out what it was like staying on a dairy farm, an experience they haven't done before, all coming from "City Life"! From seeing the cows getting milked, watching calves getting born, to speeding about the fields on the quad bike, and of course taking the sectionals with the band, they all enjoyed their time in Campbeltown, and hopefully they will be back down to work with the band in the near future.

Craig came down on the Sunday to round the weekend off with a 4hr practice to work on the piece, and it was obvious from the hard work that Rhona and the boys put in over the weekend, they'd certainly raised the bands efforts with the piece, with just a few weeks to go to the contest.

Tom and Anne's Leaving concert    6/10/06

We were saddened to hear that our Secretary Tom Fuge and his wife Anne, are set to leave Campbeltown and move to Glasgow in mid-October. Tom has spent alot of time taking care of the official side of the band's duties, at one point he had nearly everything to do, from being the Librarian, treasurer, secretary, registrar, adult supervisor and more!! Probably the only job he hasn't done, is possibly wave the baton in front of the band!! Tom and Anne have supported the band for many years, and without their dedication, we wouldn't have got to where we have today.

We held a leaving concert for them in the Community Centre in front of many family and friends to show how much the band have appreciated their help over the years. The Junior band kicked the night off, with a selection of music including Classic Gold, I'll Still Be in Love With You (Soprano soloist Hannah McSporran), Wandrin' Star (Bass Trombone soloist Callum Houstan), Singin' in the Rain, and Carillon. Next up it was the Quintet with new member Jennifer McCormick on Flugel replacing Eilidh Brian.

After the Quintet it was the beginner's group or "Andy's Army" as they've become known! They played 2 pieces and featured some superb solo and duet performances also.

After the interval, Campbeltown Brass played Cornish Cavalier, Deliverance (Cornet and Flugel Duet, Stephanie Mitchell and Jennifer McCormick), Rocking Trombones (Trombone Trio, featuring our 4 trombones!), Over the Rainbow (Horn soloist Lynne Campbell, who dedicated it to Anne), Kalinka and Bells of Dunblane (with guest piper Andy Gibbs). After the presentation both the Junior and senior bands joined together to play the massed band pieces of Daniel and Anne's favourite, The Young Amadeus, with son Graham making a guest appearance back on the drum-kit!

Everybody at Campbeltown Brass sends their best wishes to Tom and Anne for the future away from Campbeltown, how will they cope without us!!!

November

Campbeltown Christmas Lights    30/11/06

Due to the awful, wet weather we didn't make it down the street to play in Main Street, for the switching on of Campbeltown's Christmas lights.

Scottish Challenge Cup and Youth Championships    26/11/06

Campbeltown Brass and Campbeltown Junior Brass headed to Glasgow's Royal Concert hall to compete both in the Scottish Challenge Cup and Youth Contests, as part of the Scottish Open Championships. In the Challenge Cup, where it was an own-choice test piece contest, Campbeltown Brass were drawn 11th out of 12 and played "Episodes for Brass", which was the same test piece they had used at the Pontins Championships in Wales, at the start of November. Competing against 2nd, 3rd and 4th section adult bands, Campbeltown Brass came a very creditable 4th, ahead of all four 2nd section bands. Bass trombone player, Kenny Campbell earned high praises from the 4barsrest.com team, who thought he was the best instrumentalist of the day in the Cup contest.

Campbeltown Junior Brass took to the stage later in the afternoon, starting off the Development Section in the Youth Championships. They opened up their contest programme with the lively piece "Disco Mania", then followed up by playing "Kids at the Movies", which was an arrangement of music from the films ‘Finding Nemo', ‘Dances with Wolves' and the tune ‘I Will Follow Him' from the film ‘Sister Act'. Next they played "Carillon" which featured the horn section of the band. The Junior band finished off their programme off with the upbeat Salvation Army arrangement of "Daniel", where 12 year old Andrew Black had his shinning moment with his rousing drum solo, which again, earned huge admiration from the 4barsrest team. The Junior band finished 2nd behind Dalmellington Juniors in a very stiff contest, featuring 6 of Scotland's best Youth bands.

A big thank you to Ian Green and Helen Webster from Kingdom Brass for guesting with Campbeltown Brass in the Cup contest. Lynne Campbell and Willie Ralston had a busy day too, guesting for Johnstone Silver and Lochgelly bands respectively in the Shield contest.

Principal Cornet of Campbeltown Junior Brass, Lorna Armour receives the runners-up cup from Alan Edmond from Band Supplies.

West of Scotland Solos & Ensembles

All those above have qualified for the Scottish Solo and Ensemble Championships, to be held in Bathgate in February 2007.

Remembrance Sunday    12/11/06

The band turned out on Sunday morning to play at Campbeltown's Remembrance Parade. It was raining and windy earlier in the morning, so it was decided that the parade was to be held in the Victoria Hall, where we accompanied the hymn tune and Stephanie played the Last Post and Reveille.

Pontins Brass Band Championships    4/11/06

We headed down to Prestatyn in North Wales, to compete at the Pontins Brass Band Championships. Drawn 12th out of 18 in the 3rd section, we were due to play at 6pm, on the Saturday night. But owing to the 4th section over-running by 2 hours, it wasn't until about 8pm before we took to the stage, with the last band finishing at 10:45pm! Hanging about took its toll on the band and we didn't play as well as we hoped to, with some tuning and ensemble issues, but still came 11th out of the 18 bands competing. Its very hard to make an impression on the English bands, as the Yorkshire and North-West Regions are very strong. Although 4barsrest.com gave us some good comments about our performance and thought we could've finished higher.

Everybody enjoyed themselves, despite the long bus journey down, but we had most of Saturday off, where alot of the bandmembers went swimming, playing football and driving the wee go-karts like formula 1 stars!

A big thanks go to Kirsty Galbraith and Andrew Gibson from Irvine & Dreghorn band, and David Fehilly from Coalburn band who guested with us.

December

Christmas Concert    20/12/06

We had a change of venue for our usual Christmas concert this year, as Christmas week was very busy with different things on, and a last minute change of school dance meant we had to look for an alternate night and location in the Guide Hall!! Still, we had a sell-out audience and the Junior Band kicked things off with their festive programme and some carols.

Andy's Army (the Beginners!) were next up and showing without a doubt, they are improving all the time and some of them will soon be making the big jump into the Junior Band.

Last on was the Contest band with some more carols, Christmas pieces, and solos from Kenny Campbell, playing "Frosty the Snowman" and also Jamie Hardie with "O Holy Night". This was Jamie's his last concert with us, as he's leaving school and heading to the Merchant Navy. We wish him well in life outside Campbeltown Brass! The staff from the Community Centre helped with teas, coffees and mince pies at the interval, which went down very well.

Over the festive season with the concert, carol playing and other fund-raising efforts, we raised over £1100 for band funds.

Carol playing around the Campbeltown

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, all the members of the band were out in force, getting the public into the spirit of Christmas. Playing Carols in Campbeltown's Main Street, at Auchenlee Care Home and also at the Co-op's and Tesco's supermarkets, with the younger members and some parents in charge of the collecting tins, it all helps towards the fund-raising of the band.

Carol playing at Auchenlee Care Home.

Music Club Christmas Concert    5/12/06

The Quintet and a few soloists joined other local music groups to play at the Kintyre Music Club's Christmas Concert in the Lorne and Lowland Church hall.

Salvation Army's Town Carol Service    3/12/06

We attended a busy Town Carol Service in the Lorne and Lowland Church, hosted by the Salvation Army, on Sunday 3rd December. We played the carols during the service and pupils from the local primary schools featured with their part in the service. A combined Dalintober, Castlehill and Drumlemble Primary School Choirs sang 2 songs, pupils from St Kieran's School gave a sketch entitled "Three Wise Dudes"!!

Lochgilphead Christmas Lights    2/12/06

A small group of us travelled up to Lochgilphead to play Christmas carols prior to the switching on of the town's lights. Luckily enough, we were playing in the back of a lorry, as the rain started to lash down! Although afterwards we had to make our way to the town's Community Centre by foot, to play some carols for the old folk, where we did get a soaking!!