71 of Scotland's best young brass players met last Thursday at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, as the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS) prepared with three days of intensive rehearsal, before flying to Japan on Sunday for a groundbreaking concert tour.

50 Years

The tour celebrates 50 years of the NYBBS and 'UK-Japan 2008' — 150 years of economic relations between the UK and Japan.

The band will give concerts in eight Japanese cities including; Tokyo, Hamamatsu, Osaka and Kyoto.

...under the baton of the charismatic Richard Evans, the Japanese audiences are certainly in for a treat4BR

Farewell concert

Before flying out, they bid farewell to friends and family by performing a fabulous concert in Glasgow on Saturday evening. On this form, and under the baton of the charismatic Richard Evans, the Japanese audiences are certainly in for a treat.

Solo guest

International euphonium virtuoso, Steven Mead, is accompanying the band on tour as guest soloist and at Saturday's concert, once again displayed the technical brilliance and musical lyricism with which he has become synonymous.

Daily blog

Steven has also started a daily video blog of the tour, which will appear on 'You Tube' and can be accessed through his website at www.euphonium.net.

Fund raiser

Photographs of the concert will appear at www.brassbandphotography.com where all photographs from the concert will be posted in an effort to help raise funds for the NYBBS.