150th Anniversary - Bo'ness Slow Medley Contest

In association with Bo'ness & Carriden and Unison Kinneil Bands

SCOTTISH CHAMPIONS & 150 NOT OUT!!

Bo’ness & Carriden Band  got their 150^th Anniversary of to a flying start on Sunday with victory in the Scottish Championships.

With a confident and musical performance of Gilbert Vinter’s “James Cook, Circumnavigator”, the band not only took the 1^st Section national title but also won the best instrumentalist prize.  This went to their Soprano Cornet player, Richard Tobin, who thoroughly deserved this recognition after a stunning musical performance.

The contest took place in The Rothes Halls in Glenrothes, which is a new venue for this event, and proved a popular choice with the public.  A packed hall witnessed Bo’ness & Carriden take to the stage after being drawn number 6 and as one observer commented “ the band lifted the competition to new levels with a performance that outshone all that had played before”

The adjudicators remarks commented that the band’s performance was “very nearly excellent” and “A well directed performance, full of detail and with good balance.  Soprano was a real star!”

Winning this contest earns the band the right and honour to represent Scotland at the British National Finals in Harrogate in September and also gives them automatic qualification to the Scottish open in November.

The band’s conductor, Michael Marzella said “After the hard work and commitment shown by the band members in their preparation for this contest I am delighted they achieved this fantastic award and I am proud to be associated with such a significant result”.

Winning the Scottish Championships also provides a great start to the band’s 150 years celebrations.

Plans for this momentous year are well under way and the band are very pleased to announce that they have secured a grant from “Awards for All” (one of the funding bodies of The National Lottery) which will fund two of their 150 year celebration projects.  One being the publishing of a book following the history of the band from 1858 to the present day, written by Val McKay.  And the other being the commissioning of a new brass band march to be written by top Composer, Performer & Conductor, Andy Duncan.

2008 promises to be a busy year for the band, as other events lined up, over and above their usual commitments,  include a Celebration Concert on 6^th June, a Civic Reception, and our 20^th Annual Concert in Bo’ness Town Hall.

To bring this celebration year to a close, the band has also agreed to join their great friends and local rivals, Unison Kinneil Band, who are also celebrating their 150^th anniversary, for a joint concert on the 5^th December, also in Bo’ness Town Hall.  Proceeds from this great occasion will be in aid of a charity to be announced.

As always the band are thankful for the continued support of the local community and if there is anyone out there who may be able to assist in their research for the book or has any memorabilia relating to the bands history, their help would be very welcome.