2010 Scottish Regional Championship - First Section - Runners & Riders
5-Mar-2010A Downland Suite may not evoke images of the Scottish Highlands, but if played well by any of these bands it can be just as beautiful.
Sunday 14th March
Adjudicators: Dave Barringer & David Thornton
Test Piece: A Moorside Suite (Gustav Holst)
Draw: 9.00am
Commences: 10.30am
Scotland is yet to produce a First Section National Champion, and if the last few years are anything to go by, it may well be some time before they come close to doing so.
Last year’s qualifiers came 5th and 12th at Harrogate – much the same result achieved by bands at the contest since the turn of the Millennium and you have to go back to 1999 for the last time both representatives came in the top six. Not a great record then.
Optimism
There is some optimism on the horizon though, with the introduction of the Scottish Challenge Shield allowing a number of bands to compete against each other at the tail end of a long season, and the careful nurturing of young talent finally starting bear fruit.
First of all though they will have to overcome a very difficult set work, and David Thornton and Dave Barringer will have plenty to ponder over in the box on Sunday morning as 10 well matched bands try and evoke images of rural west country Edwardian England: Bucolic Gloucester is a far cry from industrial Glasgow.
Intent
Six bands who played last year are joined by two relegated from the Championship Section and two promoted from the Second.
The two who dropped through the relegation trap door will want to make a speedy return and Bo’ness & Carriden have shown their intent by booking Steve Sykes to head their challenge. They last won here in 2008 and will be looking for a repeat for sure.
Dunaskin Doon won this title back in 1994, and came 2nd in 2007. John Boax leads them once more as they look to build on last year’s solid showing despite their relegation and 6th place at the Scottish Open Challenge Shield.
The two promoted bands will also be keen to show their quality, with Second Section champion Arbroath Instrumental keen to build on a 2009 season that saw them crowned Band of the Year, win the Fife contest, come a slightly unlucky 10th at Harrogate and end the year with a podium finish at the Scottish Challenge Shield. A return to Harrogate may well be on the cards.
Confidence
Annan Town should come to the contest full of confidence too after enjoying their second consecutive promotion and going on to post a solid 11th place at Harrogate.
David Shanks also led them to 9th place at the Scottish Challenge Shield, so they could be a bit of a dark horse.
Bathgate will be looking for a bit of a confidence boost after ending the year with a disappointing 8th place at the Scottish Challenge Shield. Both the band and their talented young conductor Eoin Tonner learned a lesson or two there, so will it have paid off come the weekend?
A band that will certainly be full to the brim with confidence will be Campbeltown Brass, who enjoyed two consecutive promotions in 2007 and 2008 and who came 4th last year.
They certainly built on that by the time they appeared at Perth and won the Scottish Challenge Shield in fine style. More of that form and they could enjoy the long journey home with yet another piece of silverware to their name.
Encouraging
There were encouraging performances from both Lochgelly and Newmilns & Galston at Perth, and both bands will be looking to push towards the qualification places on the weekend.
Lochgelly has been making steady progress in the last few years and came 5th last time out, whilst Newmilns won here in 2007 and just missed out on a return to Harrogate last year. Both could well feature in and around the podium places once again if they play to form.
Andrew Duncan will lead Broxburn & Livingston’s challenge as they look to continue their gradual climb back towards the Championship Section. They last won here in 2002, so a victory is over due, whilst Johnstone will be led by the vastly experienced Ray Tennant as they look to keep moving in the right direction after coming 7th last year.
As for a winner?
No clear-cut favourite sticks out here, but the likes of Bo’ness & Carriden and Campbeltown should fancy their chances, as should Arbroath and Newmilns & Galston to push them close.
Dunaskin Doon and Bathgate should make it into the top six, whilst our dark horse is Annan Town.
4BR Prediction:
1. Bo’ness & Carriden
2. Campbeltown Brass
3. Arbroath Instrumental
4. Newmilns & Galston
5. Dunaskin Doon
6. Bathgate
Dark Horse: Annan Town
Annan Town (APD)
Conductor: David Shanks
Last 14 Years:
2009: 2nd in Second Section (D. Shanks) (prom)
2008: 2nd in Third Section (D. Shanks) (prom)
2007: 11th in Second Section (D. Shanks) (rel)
2006: 8th (D. Shanks)
2005: 7th (D. Shanks)
2004: 7th (D. Shanks)
2003: 9th (D. Shanks)
2002: 7th (D. Shanks)
2001: 9th in First Section (D. Shanks) (rel)
2000: 4th (D. Shanks)
1999: 9th
1998: 2nd in Second Section (prom)
1997: 2nd in Third Section (prom)
1996: 7th
Arbroath Instrumental
Conductor: Michael Robertson
Last 14 Years:
2009: Winners of Second Section (M. Robertson) (prom)
2008: 8th in First Section (M. Robertson) (rel)
2007: 6th (M. Robertson)
2006: 7th (M. Robertson)
2005: 6th (M. Robertson)
2004: 4th (M. Robertson)
2003: 2nd in Second Section (M. Robertson) (prom)
2002: 2nd in Third Section (M. Robertson) (prom)
2001: Winners of Fourth Section (M. Robertson) (prom)
2000: 9th (M. Robertson)
1999: 10th in Third Section (rel)
1998: 11th
1997: 11th in Second Section (rel)
1996: 8th
Bathgate
Conductor: Eoin Tonner
Last 14 Years:
2009: 8th (S. Baird)
2008: 6th (J. Smith)
2007: 7th (P. Drury)
2006: 3rd (C. Keenan)
2005: 10th in Championship Section (T. Swainson) (rel)
2004: 9th (A. Duguid)
2003: Winners of First Section (A. Duguid) (prom)
2002: 7th (A. Duguid)
2001: 4th (B. Allen)
2000: 5th (A. Ramsey)
1999: 5th
1998: 5th
1997: 2nd in Second Section (prom)
1996: 3rd
Bo'ness & Carriden
Conductor: Steve Sykes
Last 14 Years:
2009: 10th in Championship Section (M. Marzella) (rel)
2008: Winners of First Section (M. Marzella) (prom)
2007: 4th (M. Marzella)
2006: 7th in Championship Section (I. McElligott) (rel)
2005: 8th (J. Hinckley)
2004: 8th (I. McElligott)
2003: 4th (I. Davey)
2002: 8th (A. Swainson)
2001: 2nd in First Section (A. Swainson) (prom)
2000: 8th in Championship Section (S. Sykes) (rel)
1999: 8th
1998: 4th
1997: 7th
1996: 7th
Broxburn and Livingston
Conductor: Andrew Duncan
Last 14 Years:
2009: 6th (T. Swainson)
2008: 7th (K. Price)
2007: 9th in Championship Section (K. Price) (rel)
2006: 2nd in First Section (K. Price) (prom)
2005: 8th (A. Samson)
2004: 10th in Championship Section (A. Hutchison) (rel)
2003: 5th (M. Marzella)
2002: Winners of First Section (M. Marzella) (prom)
2001: 9th in Championship Section (M. Marzella) (rel)
2000: 9th (M. Marzella)
1999: 4th
1998: 6th
1997: Winners of First Section (prom)
1996: 4th
Campbeltown Brass
Conductor: Craig Anderson
Last 14 Years:
2009: 4th (C. Anderson)
2008: Winners of Second Section (C. Anderson) (prom)
2007: Winners of Third Section (C. Anderson) (prom)
2006: 4th (C. Anderson)
2005: 6th (C. Anderson)
2004: 6th (R. Farmer)
2003: 7th (G. Evans)
2002: 10th (G. Evans)
2001: DNC
2000: 6th in Second Section (G. Evans) (rel)
1999: 10th
1998: 6th
1997: 6th
1996: 2nd in Third Section (prom)
Dunaskin Doon
Conductor: John Boax
Last 14 Years:
2009: 9th in Championship Section (J. Boax) (rel)
2008: 9th (J. Boax)
2007: 2nd in First Section (J. Boax) (prom)
2006: 8th (J. Boax)
2005: 5th (J. Boax)
2004: 5th (J. Boax)
2003: 3rd (J.Boax)
2002: 4th (D. Hirst)
2001: 10th in Championship (B. Keachie) (rel)
2000: 7th (A. McCutcheon)
1999: 8th
1998: 2nd in First Section (prom)
1997: 3rd
1996: 9th in Championship (rel)
Johnstone Silver
Conductor: Ray Tennant
Last 14 Years:
2009: 7th (R. Tennant)
2008: 2nd in Second Section (R. Tennant (prom)
2007: 9th in First Section (C. Keenan) (rel)
2006: 10th in Championship Section (R. Tennant) (rel)
2005: Winners of First Section (G. Lindsay) (prom)
2004: 8th (R. Tennant)
2003: 5th (R. Tennant)
2002: 9th in Championship (R. Tennant) (rel)
2001: Winners of First Section (R. Tennant) (prom)
2000: Winners of Second Section (R. Tennant) (prom)
1999: 10th in First Section (rel)
1998: 6th
1997: 6th
Lochgelly
Conductor: Paul Drury
Last 14 Years:
2009: 5th (P. Drury)
2008: 3rd (P. Drury)
2007: 5th (A. Swainson)
2006: 6th (A. Fernie)
2005: 2nd in Second Section (J. Chamberlain) (prom)
2004: 6th (R. Tennant)
2003: Winners of Third Section (G. Lindsay) (prom)
2002: Winners of Fourth Section (G. Lindsay) (prom)
2001: 12th in Third Section (B. Fraser) (rel)
2000: 7th (B. Fraser)
1999: 5th
1998: 3rd
1997: 6th
1996: 4th
Newmilns and Galston
Conductor: Alex McCutcheon
Last 14 Years:
2009: 3rd (A. McCutcheon)
2008: 10th in Championship Section (A. McCutcheon) (rel)
2007: Winners of First Section (J. Smith) (prom)
2006: 4th (C. Anderson)
2005: 9th in Championship Section (C. Anderson) (rel)
2004: 2nd in First Section (C. Anderson) (prom)
2003: Winners in Second Section (C. Anderson) (prom)
2002: 9th (C. Anderson)
2001: 10th in First Section (N. Eggo) (rel)
2000: 7th (J. Smith)
1999: 10th in Championship (rel)
1998: 7th
1997: 2nd in First Section (prom)
1996: 6th
Past Qualifiers:
2009: Kirkintilloch Kelvin, Newtongrange Silver
2008: Bo’ness & Carriden, Clackmannan District Brass
2007: Newmilns & Galston, Dunaskin Doon
2006: Dalmellington, Broxburn and Livingston
2005: Johnstone Silver, Kirkintilloch Kelvin
2004: Newtongrange Silver, Newmilns and Galston
2003: Bathgate, Bon Accord
2002: Broxburn Public, Clackmannan District Brass.
2001: Johnstone Silver, Bo'ness and Carriden
2000: Bon Accord, Kingdom Brass
1999: Unison Kinneil, Clackmannan and District
1998: Longannet Colliery, Dunaskin Doon
1997: Broxburn Public, Newmilns and Galston
1996: Dalkeith and Monktonhall, Unison Kinneil
1995: Bon Accord, Clackmannan and District
Scottish Bands at the Finals:
2009: 5th, 12th
2008: 13th, 14th
2007: 16th, 17th
2006: 4th, 16th
2005: 7th, 8th
2004: 4th, 11th
2003: 10th, 17th
2002: 12th, 17th
2001: 6th, 9th
2000: 8th, 9th
1999: 2nd, 5th
1998: 2nd, 4th