WEDDING BELLS

Gordon and Jayne were married on a wet Saturday 24th July 2004, in St.Lukes Church in Paisley. Kirkie Band provided the music and Principal Cornet, Dave Prentice sent them on their way with "Believe Me of All Those Endearing Young Charms" Most of the Band attended the evening reception in the Sherbrooke Castle Hotel.

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Kyle, Best wishes for the future

May 2003

The Kirkintilloch Band put on two great musical performances as Scotland’s representative at the 26th European Brass Band Championships held in Bergen, Norway on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd May.

The two-day contest was held in the prestigious Grieghallen and drew together eleven national Champion bands from Scotland, England, Wales, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland and Norway to compete for the title of European Champions. On Friday evening all the bands played a set test-piece, “Aubade” by the Norwegian composer Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen, which was specially commissioned for the contest. On Saturday all the bands played an own-choice test piece, with Kirkintilloch playing “Jazz" by Philip Wilby. Kirkintilloch finished a creditable eight place in a contest where all the performances were of an extremely high standard. The winner of the contest for a record seventh time in eight years were defending champions, Yorkshire Building Society Band from England. Kirkintilloch band Chairman, Peter Fraser, was pleased with the band’s performances saying, “ They acquitted themselves very well in the company of Europe’s top brass bands, having worked extremely hard in rehearsals over the preceding months.

Peter is one of the key organisers for next year’s European Brass Band Championships, which will be held in Glasgow from Sunday 25th April until 2nd May. The main contest will take place on Friday 30th April and Saturday 1st May in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. There will also be a series of events throughout the week with the 3rd European Solo Competition and various instrumental workshops and open rehearsals taking place at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Daily lunchtime brass band concerts will also be held in George Square.

If you would like to hear the band before their summer break they will be taking part in the West Lothian Festival of Brass on Sunday 15th June 2003 at the Howden Centre, Livingston.

NEW MAN at Kirkie

The Kirkintilloch Band have just completed their first weekend of rehearsals with Steve Bastable who has been engaged to take them to the British Open Championship in Birmingham's Symphony Hall on Saturday 18th September. By the amount of sweat from player's and conductor after the rehearsals it looks like a hard time is ahead when they come back in August after a very short summer break. Welcome Steve it's great to have you on board.

West Lothian Festival

26th June 2004

In the Final of the West Lothian Festival on Sunday 26th June, Whitburn were declared winners by adjudcator Philip Sparke. Andy Duncan presented and conducted the band who gave an oustanding performance of many of his own compositions and arrangements. Congratulations to them. Newtongrange also gave a fine performance with Conductor Alan Ramsay, all in all a great evenings entertainment.

Kirkintilloch were declared winners of the best overture from the whole event, for their performance of The Corsair, Conducted by Craig Anderson.

13th June 2004

Whitburn Band took the winning spot in the first semi-final of the West Lothian Festival. Kirkintilloch and Kingdom Brass added to a fine evening of entertainment.

Kirkintilloch played exceptionally well and presented a very strong programme and were unlucky not to take the top prize.

The programme:

Overture: The Corsair

Trumpet Solo: Summertime

Feature: Gee Officer Krupke

Philip Sparke item: Mountain Song

Band: Maille Fleur

Finale: Slavonic Rhapsody No2

Next semi-final Sunday 13th June at 6.30 in the Howden Centre, taking part Bo'ness, Kinneil, and Newtongrange. Final on Sunday 27th June at 6.30.

May/June 2004

Kirkie Band has just completed a busy month of May with an appearance at the European Gala Concert in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Their performance of specially written, and arranged music by Robert Mathieson and Steve Rockey was much appreciated by the large audience, a fitting finale to a superb Gala Concert which included National Youth Brass Band of Scotland, the BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Soloist 2004, Katrina Marzella, Yorkshire Building Society Band, and the House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band, all produced an presented by Frank Renton.

Two weeks later The Kirkintilloch Band were guests at the Annual Concert of the Gledoholt Male Voice Choir Choir in Hundersfield Town Hall. This sellout concert appreciated the items presented by the band and Musical Director Craig Anderson.

The next day at Centre Vale Park, Todmorden, in the steaming heat, they performed to a large and appreciative audience who enjoyed the musical presentation from Kirkie.

In June they take part on 6th June in the first semi-final of the West Lothian Festival Contest. Starting at 6.30, all band friends please come along and support us at this event, Other bands taking part will be Whitburn and Kingdom Brass, it's sure to be great evenings entertaiment.

Later in the year we look forward to the Land O'Burns Contest and the British Open in September

August / September 2003

Kirkintilloch Band win Troon Contest

Kirkintilloch Band returned to their winning ways with first prize at the Land O’Burns Brass Band Contest held in Troon on Saturday, 23 August 2003 in the band’s first contest following their summer break.

Kirkintilloch Band competed against ten other bands from Scotland and England with every band playing a 20 minute concert programme. The band’s new musical director, Craig Anderson, conducted the band in their first public performance together making a great start to what both the band and Craig hope will prove a successful partnership. Craig is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and is one of Scotlands top tuba players. The band’s solo horn player, Allan Wardrope, also won the prize for Best Instrumentalist for his performance of the tenor horn solo “Variations on a Welsh Theme” by Peter Kneale.

Kirkintilloch Band will be very busy over the next three months which sees them competing at four major contests throughout Britain. In September they will compete at the British Open Brass Band Championship in Birmingham Symphony Hall. They will then take part in the Besson National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Albert Hall, London in October. November will see the band travelling to the Brass in Concert Championships at Spennymoor, County Durham, before competing at the inaugural Scottish Open Brass Band Championships in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Sunday 30 November. They will also be performing in the Gala Concert to be held in the Royal Concert Hall on the same day following the Scottish Open Contest, which will have a St Andrew’s Day theme.

Huddersfield Town Hall 15th May 2004

Scottish Open 2004

Changes at Kirkie

As a result of our popular Band Manager/Secretary, and versatile musician, Pat Murray,deciding to take up the offer of a post with his company in Hong Kong, a reorganisation of our management committee was required.

Allan Wardrope has now been appointed Band Manager, Chris Ball takes over as Chairman, and Peter Fraser once again takes on the post of Secretary, for the time being anyway. At the band's AGM the new committee appointed were Bartj Simonis, Gordon Kyle, Alastair Boag, Debbie Newby, Scott Morrice, Jaqui Ball.

At a small presentation on 11th February many of the band gathered together at the 'Bon' and gave Pat good send off and presented him with an ipod, full of Kirkie music! We wish you well Pat in your new posting, and we'll keep you job open while your away. By the way I distinctly heard a certain police officer saying "he would look after Liz while your away"! All the best Pat, and hurry back.

Kirkie also welcomes Sarah Naish on percussion and Martyn Ramsay on Flugel, also Andy McKreel from the reserve list, on Eb Bass. David Hedley has moved to 2nd horn and James Corrigan takes over on 2nd Baritone. Elspeth Corrigan, Nigel Baillie, and Greg Barnes will assist the percussion section at the Scottish Championships in Dundee on 13th March.

This will be the 100th staging of the Scottish Championships so its a landmark event. It takes place in Caird Hall Dundee on the weekend of 12th and 13th March, 2nd 3rd and 4th sections on Saturday and 1st and Championship on the Sunday. We wish Kelvin Brass with Alistair Orr all the best for the 1st Section. 10 bands compete in the Championship Section , so come on Kirkie we are due a win at this event we last won in 2002, runner-up in 2003, so go for it.

Steve Bastable will be working the band very hard and we owe it to him, and yourselves, to get a result at this event. The first time we won the Championship section was in 1984 with Prof. Walter Hargreaves, a few in this picture have grey tints since then!