Leadhills Silver Band has informed 4BR that their special First World War commission 'Music for Distant Hills' by Alan Fernie is now being made available free of charge to the rest of the banding world.

Bands can now request access to the download the music by emailing: leadhillssilverband@hotmail.com.

Inspired

The work was commissioned and paid for as part of a project that received Heritage Lottery funding. In addition, the project involved research into the village's connection to the conflict with the Leadhills Library, Wanlockhead Museum of Lead Mining and Heritage Group.

It was inspired by an old sepia photograph of Leadhills Village Band (above) taken in the early years of 1900, which captured the members of the lead mining band proudly grasping their beautifully engraved instruments

Still in use

Amazingly some of these instruments are still in the band's possession and are a poignant reminder that a number of those seen in the image went to fight a few years later.

The work was first performed in Leadhills Village Hall in November 2018 and now that the band has completed their performance of the work in the non-competitive Section 4b at the Scottish Championship in Perth in March, the piece has been published and copies are now being offered.