Cornet player Gillian Reid was recently presented with Lifetime Membership of the Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA), recognising her years of involvement in the brass band movement as a player and administrator.

Next generation

Gillian currently helps inspire the next generation of young musicians at the Riverside Youth Band in Inverclyde. She has become a member of the organisation's management team and still gets her cornet out regularly to sit alongside young players during the band's weekly rehearsals in Port Glasgow.

She was presented with her medal at the band's resent summer concert, with members of her family surprising her by being there — including daughter Abbie, a former member of the band, who travelled from Dingwall especially for the occasion.

Treasure

"Receiving the SBBA Lifetime Membership Award is a memory I will treasure," she said, "as it involved my family and my favourite thing, brass banding. To begin with, I was a little confused and surprised and definitely overwhelmed — but I'm enormously grateful."

She added: "Brass banding wasn't very cool when I was younger, but that never bothered me. I enjoyed the challenge of trying to put together all the components of the music."

Mother and daughter

Gillian started lessons in 1981 at primary school before playing for Paisley Youth Band and Brediland Brass before moving to Johnstone Silver Band in the early 1980s, where she served as an active member for more than 30 years.

When her daughter Abbie came along to Riverside Youth Band in 2018, Gillian was more than happy to get stuck in and she has immersed herself in the life of the organisation.

Gillian has become a 'band mum' to so many players in the band, and we hope she will continue to be involved for years to comeRiverside Youth Band

Marvellous accolade

In marking her achievement, Duncan Galbraith, Riverside Youth Band Chairperson added: "This is a marvellous accolade that honours Gillian's decades of service to the brass band community in Scotland.

Gillian has become a 'band mum' to so many players in the band, and we hope she will continue to be involved for years to come."