Whitburn has announced the signing of Susannah Downs to the cornet section.

Susannah is currently the principal cornet of the West Lothian Schools Band and principal trumpet of the West Lothian Schools Orchestra, and has joined the band on tutti solo cornet. She has previously played with Unison Kinneil and Newtongrange.

Footsteps

The 17-year-old follows in the footsteps of her father Owen, who enjoyed an illustrious spell with Whitburn on soprano between 1983 and 1997. He was part of the band which won the Grand Shield in 1991.

Susannah, who is also on the solo cornet bench at the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland, joins Whitburn only a few months after she became the East of Scotland Solo Champion in the youth category.

It gives me the opportunity to develop even more as a player due to the band's high standardsSusannah Downs

Opportunity

She told 4BR: "I'm delighted to be part of Whitburn. It gives me the opportunity to develop even more as a player due to the band's high standards. I want to win as many Scottish medals as my dad!"