Whitburn win Scottish championships

Whitburn Band is celebrating after becoming the Scottish brass band champion for the 23rd time.

Whitburn, conducted by its musical director Professor Nicholas Childs, won the competition last weekend at Perth Concert Hall performing Diversions by Derek Bourgeois.

The band finished top in a field of ten bands in the Championship section.

It was a good day for the Whitburn Band organisation overall, as Whitburn Heartlands -  another brass band affiliated with Whitburn Band - finished in third place in the Fourth Section of the championships with its conductor Peter Holmes.

Several Whitburn players also won individual and sectional prizes.

Scott Forrest, Chris Bradley and Graham Fraser picked up the prizes for best soprano, cornet and bass respectively, while Graham, his brother Robert, Alan Gourlay and his brother Neill won the prize for the Best Bass section. Cameron Shanks, Hannah McInnes and Emma Dunn won the prize for Best Percussion.

Whitburn’s victory means they will represent Scotland at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, which will be held at the Royal Albert Hall in London in October, and the European Brass Band Championships, to be held in Linz, Austria next Spring.

Whitburn has now been the Scottish champion on three occasions in the last four years.

Charlie Farren, Whitburn Band’s Chairman, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won the Scottish championships. All the players worked very hard, and Nick was fantastic once more.

“It was a great weekend for the organisation, with the success of Whitburn Heartlands as well.”

The band is now looking forward to featuring in Keli, a National Theatre of Scotland production, later this year with performances in Stirling, Edinburgh and Glasgow.