Christmas Concert - 17th December, Howard Centre, Kilmarnock
Tickets are available for our Christmas concert on 17th December at 7pm in the Howard Centre, Kilmarnock. Special guests this year are Lainshaw Primary School Choir. Book now by contacting Tracy Rutherford on 07837 946918, or from any band member. We hope to see some of you there - let's get into the spirit of Christmas by making music!
Spring Fling Concert - the cooperation band and Kilmarnock Concert Brass
May 20th, The Howard Centre, Kilmarnock
Final call for tickets to the joint concert at the Howard Centre, Kilmarnock with none other than the cooperation band. The doors open at 6.45 pm, and the bands take to the stage at 7.30pm.
The cooperation band were Scottish Open Champions 2022 and it promises to be a wonderful evening! The programmes are varied and entertaining, with plenty from each band to keep the ears happy and the toes tapping!
Tickets are available from WEGOTTICKETS.com or can be reserved for collection and payment at the door by contacting any band member, or our Facebook page, Kilmarnock Concert Brass Band.
Adult: £10 (+£1 booking fee)
Concession: £8 (+ 0.80 booking fee)
tinyurl.com/3upk7rtj
We would love to see you there! Book your tickets now, to avoid disappointment!
The cooperation band were Scottish Open Champions 2022 and it promises to be a wonderful evening! The programmes are varied and entertaining, with plenty from each band to keep the ears happy and the toes tapping!
Tickets are available from WEGOTTICKETS.com or can be reserved for collection and payment at the door by contacting any band member, or our Facebook page, Kilmarnock Concert Brass Band.
Adult: £10 (+£1 booking fee)
Concession: £8 (+ 0.80 booking fee)
tinyurl.com/3upk7rtj
We would love to see you there! Book your tickets now, to avoid disappointment!
Autumn Concert
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Come along to our November concert where you can enjoy a wide selection of music, solo and small group features, showcasing the players in the band. It promises to be a great concert! Tickets are £5 each, with tea and coffee available, details on how to purchase tickets are on the poster or speak to any band member. We hope to see you there!
National Finals September 2022 - roundup
Now that the dust has settled and the band has resumed normal service after attending the National Brass Band Championships held in Cheltenham on 18th September, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to you all for support and donations to our fund-raising efforts. Thanks to your donation, and the funds donated by local businesses or raised by the band members, we were able to meet the considerable sum required to pay for coach (and driver) hire and accommodation costs for the weekend.
The band were drawn to play 14th from 17 bands attending and walked onto the stage at 1pm after a rehearsal at the hotel at 8am. We played well, although perhaps the nerves of the occasion affected some players, causing minor blemishes to our performance here and there, and the three adjudicators placed the band a credible 13th in the results.
Whilst the band hand hoped for a better result, Kilmarnock Concert Brass members consider the invite to attend as Scottish 3rd Section champions and the opportunity to compete amongst the top 3rd Section bands in the UK as the overall reward of the weekend. Of 17 bands there, only one gets the overall UK Champions spot, but so many others are given the opportunity to play and meet other dedicated band players and hear some fabulous musicians doing what they love best.
This contest was the first National Championship attendance for many musicians in the band, and for our younger players, a fabulous achievement and experience. In fact, it was the inaugural contest for one of our cornet players! We strive to encourage our young players in their development and are proud of their dedication and commitment to the band.
The band were drawn to play 14th from 17 bands attending and walked onto the stage at 1pm after a rehearsal at the hotel at 8am. We played well, although perhaps the nerves of the occasion affected some players, causing minor blemishes to our performance here and there, and the three adjudicators placed the band a credible 13th in the results.
Whilst the band hand hoped for a better result, Kilmarnock Concert Brass members consider the invite to attend as Scottish 3rd Section champions and the opportunity to compete amongst the top 3rd Section bands in the UK as the overall reward of the weekend. Of 17 bands there, only one gets the overall UK Champions spot, but so many others are given the opportunity to play and meet other dedicated band players and hear some fabulous musicians doing what they love best.
This contest was the first National Championship attendance for many musicians in the band, and for our younger players, a fabulous achievement and experience. In fact, it was the inaugural contest for one of our cornet players! We strive to encourage our young players in their development and are proud of their dedication and commitment to the band.
Band wedding
The band had a rest from fundraising this weekend to celebrate the marriage of Tracy, our Principal Cornet player and Brian, our Percussionist at St Kentigern's Church on Saturday 6th August. The weather was kind and the wedding couple tied the knot in style, with an appreciative gathering of guests in the church to witness the joyful occasion. A scratch band made up of players from Kilmarnock Concert Brass, Irvine and Dreghorn Brass, Johnstone Band, Barrhead Band, Dunaskin Doon and Renfrew Burgh Band played throughout, with ceremonial music chosen by the wedding couple making their day complete! A very merry reception was enjoyed by all, a great way to celebrate the start of Tracy and Brian's married life together!
Thanks to Sharon at Solo Photography for permission to use this lovely image on the website!
Fundraising update
We are well on the way to raising the ever-increasing costs of taking the band to the National Brass Band Championships in September, but we need your help to raise the money required. Escalating costs of fuel and transport, along with accommodation costs means that the band need to raise a minimum of £7000 in order to keep costs affordable for the players attending.
Donations, however small, all mount up - please donate if you can!
You can do so by:
Donations, however small, all mount up - please donate if you can!
You can do so by:
- donations to any band member
- entering the football card competitions by contacting any band member. A donation of £2 for a team allows you a chance of winning £40!
- entering the draw for a fantastic large canvas print by local artist Gillian Park worth £150. Entries are £5 each, with no limit on ticket purchases. Link: Paypal.me/kcbconcertticketbconc
- donate via our Collection Pot (crowdfunding) via the link below:
- www.collectionpot.com/pot/1612774/
Come along to St Kentigern's Church this Saturday for an afternoon of music by Kilmarnock Concert Brass, art and craft stalls, tea/coffee and cakes! Some fabulous art and craft makers are coming along, so why not come for a browse and support the band as they prepare to represent Kilmarnock and Scotland at the National Brass Band Finals in Cheltenham in September?
(Belated) 50th Anniversary Concert
We couldn't let anything stop us from celebrating our band's 50th Anniversary - not even a two year delay!
We'd love you to join us to celebrate this momentous occasion with the Scottish 3rd Section Area Champions, celebrating too our promotion to the second section.
To buy tickets, please pay via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kcbconcertticket...
leaving a note of your name, a contact telephone number and how many tickets you would like.
We've waited two years to play this concert for you so we'd love to see you there!
We'd love you to join us to celebrate this momentous occasion with the Scottish 3rd Section Area Champions, celebrating too our promotion to the second section.
To buy tickets, please pay via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kcbconcertticket...
leaving a note of your name, a contact telephone number and how many tickets you would like.
We've waited two years to play this concert for you so we'd love to see you there!
2022 Scottish Championships
On 12th March, the band headed to Perth Concert Hall for the Scottish Championships after a year's absence due to Covid-19.
Having been promoted to the 3rd Section after being runners-up in the 4th Section in 2020, the band were drawn first and took to the stage just after 9.30 to play the National Anthem and then their performance of the test piece 'Facets of Glass' by Gordon Langford for the adjudicators Sandy Smith and Helen Douthwaite-Teasdale.
They obviously liked what they heard as Kilmarnock Concert Brass were announced as the winners of the 3rd Section.
And the icing on the cake being that our Flugel player Iain Lowry was awarded the prize for 3rd Section Best Instrumentalist.
Sandy Smith said in his speech that the band produced music that was "...above all other bands. They used what they were given and made music properly in the style of Langford."
This win was the result of months of hard work put in by not only the band's players but also, in no short measure, by our Musical Director, Scott Walker.
We realise that it would not have been possible without all of Scott's hard work and dedication and would like to thank him for this.
More photographs from the day can be found in our Gallery.
If you would like to watch the band's prize winning performance, please click the link below:
Having been promoted to the 3rd Section after being runners-up in the 4th Section in 2020, the band were drawn first and took to the stage just after 9.30 to play the National Anthem and then their performance of the test piece 'Facets of Glass' by Gordon Langford for the adjudicators Sandy Smith and Helen Douthwaite-Teasdale.
They obviously liked what they heard as Kilmarnock Concert Brass were announced as the winners of the 3rd Section.
And the icing on the cake being that our Flugel player Iain Lowry was awarded the prize for 3rd Section Best Instrumentalist.
Sandy Smith said in his speech that the band produced music that was "...above all other bands. They used what they were given and made music properly in the style of Langford."
This win was the result of months of hard work put in by not only the band's players but also, in no short measure, by our Musical Director, Scott Walker.
We realise that it would not have been possible without all of Scott's hard work and dedication and would like to thank him for this.
More photographs from the day can be found in our Gallery.
If you would like to watch the band's prize winning performance, please click the link below:
Autumn Concert 2021
The band are delighted to be able to announce our 2021 Autumn Concert.
To reserve seats, please contact Tracy or Lesley whose details are on the poster.
Please note that because of restrictions, we cannot provide refreshments but you are more than welcome to bring your own (non-alcoholic).
We all hope to see you there!
To reserve seats, please contact Tracy or Lesley whose details are on the poster.
Please note that because of restrictions, we cannot provide refreshments but you are more than welcome to bring your own (non-alcoholic).
We all hope to see you there!
National Brass Band Championships 2021
(and more)
As the runners-up in the 4th Section at the Scottish Championships on 8th March 2020, the band were invited to take part in the National Brass Band Championships at Cheltenham Racecourse on Sunday 19th September 2021.
Because of Covid-19 restrictions, the band did not get the opportunity to rehearse as a proper band until 6th June and until 8th August we were unable to rehearse indoors.
Because of this, we did not feel that we would be able to give our best at the contest and took the difficult decision to withdraw.
HOWEVER ...
This has given us the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the fact that we have a full band (not something many bands can say after lockdown) and indoor rehearsal space to prepare playing in front of an audience.
Our plan is to have a concert at the end of October.
More details to follow.
Because of Covid-19 restrictions, the band did not get the opportunity to rehearse as a proper band until 6th June and until 8th August we were unable to rehearse indoors.
Because of this, we did not feel that we would be able to give our best at the contest and took the difficult decision to withdraw.
HOWEVER ...
This has given us the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the fact that we have a full band (not something many bands can say after lockdown) and indoor rehearsal space to prepare playing in front of an audience.
Our plan is to have a concert at the end of October.
More details to follow.
Wishing all our supporters, friends and families a Happy New Year and hopefully we will meet in 2021! Here's to a better year!
Kilmarnock Concert Brass - Christmas Compilation
Kilmarnock Concert Brass players are really missing our usual activities on the run-up to Christmas this year. No Christmas concert, no church services, no playing at the hospital or at nursing homes, and no supermarket fundraising this year.
We got together (virtually) to perform a trio of favourite Christmas carols for you in the hope that our playing might bring back memories of previous performances, and to remind everyone that as soon as we can resume playing, we will be back in fine fettle!
As you may be aware, the donations our audiences generously give at Christmas go a long way to allowing the band to survive during the next year. If you feel inclined to pop some money in the virtual collecting bucket would we would be sincerely grateful!
paypal.me/pools/c/8vkXx6RvCG
Just hit the links below to register Kilmarnock Concert Brass as your chosen charity and shop 'til you drop!
https:smile.amazon.co.uk
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/kilmarnockconcertbrass/
Our band, like others, has not been allowed to rehearse or perform since March, and whilst we are trying to keep home practice part of our lives, we are really missing our weekly music-making together.
As the year moves on, it looks more unlikely that the band will be able to have a Christmas Concert, celebrate our 50th anniversary, or participate in any fundraising activities over the Christmas period. The carolling outside supermarkets as people enter for Christmas groceries and gifts, the concerts (Hansel, our Christmas concert), the church services and other events such as Christmas Fayres are not going to happen as COVID-19 restrictions continue. Our main fundraising for the year occurs over the Christmas period, and the welcome donations from the public during this time helps our self-funded organisation afloat throughout the year. Losing this valuable income is a blow to the band.
How can you help?
As we move more and more to online shopping as restrictions continue, it would be a great time to sign up for our Easyfundraising or smile.amazon.uk pages - both ways of helping the band raise funds with no additional cost to the buyer. Using the link generates a small payment to the band from the retailer , but this is not charged to the purchaser. Downloading the app and registering your linked donation to Kilmarnock Concert Brass is an easy, quick process. There is even a reminder add-on which prompts you to enter sites through Easyfundraising or smile.amazon.uk if you forget initially.
Just hit the links below to register Kilmarnock Concert Brass as your chosen charity and shop 'til you drop!
https:smile.amazon.co.uk
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/kilmarnockconcertbrass/
As the year moves on, it looks more unlikely that the band will be able to have a Christmas Concert, celebrate our 50th anniversary, or participate in any fundraising activities over the Christmas period. The carolling outside supermarkets as people enter for Christmas groceries and gifts, the concerts (Hansel, our Christmas concert), the church services and other events such as Christmas Fayres are not going to happen as COVID-19 restrictions continue. Our main fundraising for the year occurs over the Christmas period, and the welcome donations from the public during this time helps our self-funded organisation afloat throughout the year. Losing this valuable income is a blow to the band.
How can you help?
As we move more and more to online shopping as restrictions continue, it would be a great time to sign up for our Easyfundraising or smile.amazon.uk pages - both ways of helping the band raise funds with no additional cost to the buyer. Using the link generates a small payment to the band from the retailer , but this is not charged to the purchaser. Downloading the app and registering your linked donation to Kilmarnock Concert Brass is an easy, quick process. There is even a reminder add-on which prompts you to enter sites through Easyfundraising or smile.amazon.uk if you forget initially.
Just hit the links below to register Kilmarnock Concert Brass as your chosen charity and shop 'til you drop!
https:smile.amazon.co.uk
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/kilmarnockconcertbrass/
The introduction of measures aimed to slow the progress of disease transmission are now beginning to come into force and these inevitably will cause some disruption in daily lives of our members, families and communities. At present the government recognise that isolating communities for a long period of time will not prevent the spread of infection with coronavirus, and the main aim of the measures advised are to slow progression to allow the NHS to maintain capacity and quality of treatment for those patients who need it the most.
The illness is causing the most serious problems for those with underlying health conditions and/or people over the age of 60. For most others, the illness presents with one or more flu-like symptoms such as high temperature, aches and muscle pains, shortness of breath or cough and can be treated adequately at home with the usual advice of fluids, paracetamol and rest. The government have also introduced self-isolation advice which will help to slow down the transmission of disease.
Our first consideration as a musical organisation is to keep our members and audiences safe and healthy. At present, there is no specific advice for organisations to limit rehearsals, performances , committee meetings etc although this may change, and we will keep you updated with advice if necessary.
At present, we are going to keep having rehearsals, but band members are asked to adhere to the following guidance and act honestly and responsibly to make decisions about their own health:
- If you are experiencing symptoms – a high temperature or new continuous cough, please do not attend rehearsals and follow NHS 111 advice regarding self-isolation for 7 days.
- If you have an underlying condition which would put you at a higher risk of contracting the illness (which others may not be aware of), consult the NHS 111 advice and responsibly decide accordingly whether to attend or not.
- The church has put in place several measures to reduce the chance of passing on the virus including provision of hand sanitiser at the entrance/exit to church premises. Gloves are available for use when moving chairs.
- Wash hands on entry to band hall/ use the hand sanitiser provided.
- Band members should avoid personal contact with other band members – no hugging, shaking hands etc.
- Spacing the chairs out and not sharing music stands will allow members to space out to avoid close quarters.
- The virus can exist outside the body for several hours, posing a potential source of viral contamination. Band members should empty instruments into a cloth that they bring with them and then take away with them at the end of the rehearsal. DO NOT empty instruments out onto the carpet.
- Bring tissues with you to sneeze or cough into or use your elbow. Any used tissues should be discarded into waste bins as soon as possible.
www.makingmusic.org.uk
We are a band family – we are here to look out for and look after each other and Kilmarnock Concert Brass Committee respectfully request that everyone works together to allow us to continue as a community for as long as possible. If advice changes, additional posts will follow.
Scottish Championships 8th March 2020: 2nd place!
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Kilmarnock Concert Brass took to the stage in Perth Concert Hall yesterday in the Scottish Championships 4th Section having drawn 6th to play in a fourteen-strong competition. The piece, a new commission for this year, was Neverland by Christopher Bond, which tells the story of Peter Pan in three movements: Journey to Neverland (the adventure begins), The Window That Closed (longings for the life left behind) and the final section Aboard The Pirate Ship (Captain Hook and the battle). It was a fabulous piece of writing by Bond, demanding a well-balanced, rhythmically correct and musical performance.
The band, under the excellent direction of Scott Walker, worked hard to develop the band sound and musicality required and it paid off with a fantastic 2nd place leading to a place representing Scotland at the National Brass Band Championships in Cheltenham in September and promotion to the 3rd section next year.
Our newest BBb bass player, Adam Riddiough (age 13) was also presented with the trophy for the youngest BBb bass player. Unfortunately for Robert, his twin brother, there was no equivalent trophy for Eb bass but we appreciate him just as much!
We are looking forward to a full programme of events in 2020 celebrating the 50th year of Kilmarnock Concert Brass and what a way to start the celebrations!
Event news will be posted in due course on the website and facebook page. Get your diaries ready!
New players welcomed
The band are delighted to welcome several new players to join us as we prepare for the Scottish Regional Championships in Perth in March 2020.
On tuba, we welcome young players Adam and Robert Riddiough, giving us a complete tuba section for the Scottish Championships. The boys are settling in well with the section sounding great!
On percussion, we have another two young players joining Brian Rutherford. Katie Docherty and Louis Shekleton are playing tuned percussion and timpani and doing a fantastic job.
We also welcome an ex-player, Lynne Stewart on trombone who is returning to playing after a break of 20 years.
On another note - we reckon these new signings lower the average age of the band by decades! Great to see some young players and hopefully we will see many more in the following year!
On tuba, we welcome young players Adam and Robert Riddiough, giving us a complete tuba section for the Scottish Championships. The boys are settling in well with the section sounding great!
On percussion, we have another two young players joining Brian Rutherford. Katie Docherty and Louis Shekleton are playing tuned percussion and timpani and doing a fantastic job.
We also welcome an ex-player, Lynne Stewart on trombone who is returning to playing after a break of 20 years.
On another note - we reckon these new signings lower the average age of the band by decades! Great to see some young players and hopefully we will see many more in the following year!
Christmas Concert 2019
Christmas and our Christmas concert featuring Gargieston School Choir are approaching fast and the band still have a few tickets left to sell. Join us as we listen to some fabulous Christmas singing by the young ones, and play a great mix of brass band and popular Christmas music! Tickets available from any band member or by phoning the numbers on the poster below.
Music for All @ New Laigh Kirk - Let's all sing!
A small group of players will be participating in the Let's all sing! event at the New Laigh Kirk on Sunday evening at 7pm.
It promises to be a great evening with favourite modern and traditional hymns accompanied by organ, piano, brass and praise band. Come along and sing your heart out!
It promises to be a great evening with favourite modern and traditional hymns accompanied by organ, piano, brass and praise band. Come along and sing your heart out!
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Update for the Joan Price Memorial Concert....
We are delighted to announce that the concert was a great success, with a variety of music performed by the htree bands covering show tunes, Rabbie Burns, big band, traditional brass band marches and some very talented soloists. The concert raised a staggering £2400 for Irvine and Troon Cancer Care, who are over the moon with our donation! Thanks to all who attended and contributed to the fundraising efforts.
We are delighted to announce that the concert was a great success, with a variety of music performed by the htree bands covering show tunes, Rabbie Burns, big band, traditional brass band marches and some very talented soloists. The concert raised a staggering £2400 for Irvine and Troon Cancer Care, who are over the moon with our donation! Thanks to all who attended and contributed to the fundraising efforts.
The Joan Price Memorial Concert 2019
This will be the third concert run in Joan's name, with the previous two concerts just under £6,000 for two charities - BRAKE and Beautiful Inside & Out.
With your support, we'd love to raise some much needed funds for Irvine and Troon Cancer Care.
This is always a great evening of music and friendship.
Tickets can be reserved in advance by emailing [email protected]
With your support, we'd love to raise some much needed funds for Irvine and Troon Cancer Care.
This is always a great evening of music and friendship.
Tickets can be reserved in advance by emailing [email protected]
West of Scotland Brass Band Contest
Sat 31st August
Rehearsal time is nearly over and the band are looking forward to competing at the newly resurrected West of Scotland (Land of Burns) contest in Troon on 31st August. Bands start at 11am so it you are in Troon and can spare some time, come and hear some fantastic programmes of music!
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The Sound of Brass
The band are delighted to have been asked to perform in The Sound of Brass Summer Concert in Carsphairn Church on Saturday 24th August at 7.30pm.
Admission to this concert is by donation to the Church in aid of Carsphairn Church funds.
Player Vacancies
The band are searching for a number of players to complete our line-up before the competing season of 2019 starts.
We have at least two vacant positions in the cornet section (negotiable positions), two tuba positions (one of each flavour) and require a percussionist (or two) to complete our happy family.
We have a nice mix of concerts and contests planned for the coming year, which also is our 50th Anniversary year (more of that to follow). We currently rehearse on Sunday evenings at 7pm in Kay Park Parish Church, London Road, Kilmarnock and have additional rehearsals when necessary for contesting etc.
If you are returning to banding after a break or would like a change from your current position / band, please contact Tracy Calderwood or Michael Burton by email or phone, see contact details below.
Tracy Calderwood:
email: [email protected]
Tel:07837 946918
or Michael Burton on 07817 872176
We have at least two vacant positions in the cornet section (negotiable positions), two tuba positions (one of each flavour) and require a percussionist (or two) to complete our happy family.
We have a nice mix of concerts and contests planned for the coming year, which also is our 50th Anniversary year (more of that to follow). We currently rehearse on Sunday evenings at 7pm in Kay Park Parish Church, London Road, Kilmarnock and have additional rehearsals when necessary for contesting etc.
If you are returning to banding after a break or would like a change from your current position / band, please contact Tracy Calderwood or Michael Burton by email or phone, see contact details below.
Tracy Calderwood:
email: [email protected]
Tel:07837 946918
or Michael Burton on 07817 872176
Summer Concert 2019
Final call for our Summer Concert at 7.30 on 21st June at Take a Bow Opportunity Centre, Fraser Walk, Kilmarnock. Music from theatre, film, pop/rock and more traditional brass band repertoire will be sure to make this an enjoyable night for all! Special guests for the evening are performers from Take a Bow Musical Theatre group. Tickets are available from band members, the contact details below, and at the door (£5/ £4 concession) with tea/ coffee/ licensed bar available.
We have some fantastic raffle prizes this year - Rowallan Castle 4-ball golf package including Clubhouse breakfast, and two Kilmarnock Football Club home game tickets for next season (winner's choice of game) are two of the many fabulous prizes up for grabs!
Come along and join us in a fantastic evening of music!
We have some fantastic raffle prizes this year - Rowallan Castle 4-ball golf package including Clubhouse breakfast, and two Kilmarnock Football Club home game tickets for next season (winner's choice of game) are two of the many fabulous prizes up for grabs!
Come along and join us in a fantastic evening of music!
Merry Christmas from all of us in Kilmarnock Concert Brass. We hope you have a peaceful Christmas and look forward to seeing and playing for you in 2019.
SBBA Lifetime Membership Award - Jack Malpass.
The band were proud to nominate Jack Malpass, former brass teacher and conductor of Loudon Youth Brass Band for a Scottish Brass Band Association Life Membership Award on his retiral from banding due to family circumstances.
The band braved the cold and rain to play a few Christmas carols at Jack's home today, followed by a Medal Presentation by John Boax on behalf of SBBA.
It was a lovely moment, and Jack and his family were delighted to receive his award, and the band were thrilled for him. Well deserved recognition for all he has done for banding in Ayrshire over the years!
The band braved the cold and rain to play a few Christmas carols at Jack's home today, followed by a Medal Presentation by John Boax on behalf of SBBA.
It was a lovely moment, and Jack and his family were delighted to receive his award, and the band were thrilled for him. Well deserved recognition for all he has done for banding in Ayrshire over the years!
Competition Success!
Kilmarnock Concert Brass have had a busy October and November, rehearsing for and competing at both the Borders Entertainment Concert on 3rd November and at the Scottish Challenge, held in Perth on 17th November.
Scott Walker, our Musical Director, worked hard with the band members to develop the band sound and technique over the months leading up to the competitions and our hard work and efforts paid off when we achieved two fantastic results!
At the Borders Entertainment Contest, we played a varied programme of five pieces: Starlight, Sugar Blues (cornet, Tracy Calderwood), This is Me (from Greatest Showman), Little Hymn and Spirit of Brass, all of which allowed the band to showcase different elements of our playing - sound, technique, quiet (and loud) dynamic variation and group playing. We were thrilled to be awarded Best 4th Section Band on the day, and delighted to have come equal 8th overall.
The Scottish Challenge, two weeks later was an 'Own Choice Test-Piece' competition for bands in SBBA Sections 1-4. Scott Walker chose a fantastic piece called Divertimento by Bryan Kelly for the band to play which challenged the band and provided an excellent developmental opportunity. This test-piece showcased several key players within the band with solo lines from Cornet, Soprano, Flugel, Solo Horn and Euphonium within the four movements. The band were drawn 6th to play and performed confidently and well on the day, with superb soloists throughout and the results reflected this, with the band again taking Best 4th Section Band and achieving a fantastic 4th Place overall behind Kingdom Brass (1st), Newmilns and Galston (2nd) and Granite City (3rd).
What an end to the year! The band are now beginning to look towards the Scottish Regionals in March, with rehearsals beginning after the Christmas fundraising events are over.
For details of our upcoming Christmas fundraising performances, please see the Diary Page of the website. We hope to see some of you there!
Two weeks to go ...
Until the Joan Price Memorial Concert 2018.
Kilmarnock Concert Brass, Irvine & Dreghorn Brass Band and Dunaskin Doon Band are pulling out all the stops to put together another fantastic programme of music to celebrate Joan's life again in a wonderful night of music, fun and friendship - three elements abundant in Ayrshire brass banding!
Remember that tickets can be bought by:
emailing [email protected]
or texting 07884 008040
The Joan Price Memorial Concert 2018
Following the success of last year's concert, the Price family have kindly agreed to let us continue Joan's musical legacy by fundraising in her name each year. The inaugural concert raised an amazing £2,900 for BRAKE, the road safety charity.
Three local bands - Kilmarnock Concert Brass, Irvine & Dreghorn Brass Band and Dunaskin Doon Band - will once again come together on stage and aim to raise awareness and much-needed funds for a local charity - Beautiful Inside and Out.
This very worthy charity provides counselling for the parents and siblings of suicide victims and people of any age with mental health difficulties. They provide music therapy, play therapy and art therapy sessions. The charity also plans to introduce drop-in sessions to enable those experiencing similar challenges to get together, make friends with like-minded people and share their experiences.
Reserved tickets must be paid in advance and collected at the door by either;
emailing: [email protected]
or texting: 07884 008040
"Best of British" Concert Photos
Head to our "gallery" page to see a selection of photographs taken at our "Best of British" concert on the 8th of June.
These brilliant photos are courtesy of Lumos Photography - a photography company run by our talented cornet player, Chloe Ness.
You can find out more about Lumos Photography on their Facebook page.
"Best of British"
The band are delighted to announce that we are holding a FREE Summer Concert on Friday 8th June 2018 at The Howard Centre, Portland Road, Kilmarnock at 7.30
This is being funded by Tesco's Bags of Help Scheme so thank you again for donating the blue tokens to our appeal.
The concert will feature a wide range of music from the best of British brass band composers and arrangers.
Tickets can be reserved by contacting:
Tracy Calderwood on 07837 946918
or Michael Burton on 07817 872176
or by emailing [email protected]
It would be great to see you there!
This is being funded by Tesco's Bags of Help Scheme so thank you again for donating the blue tokens to our appeal.
The concert will feature a wide range of music from the best of British brass band composers and arrangers.
Tickets can be reserved by contacting:
Tracy Calderwood on 07837 946918
or Michael Burton on 07817 872176
or by emailing [email protected]
It would be great to see you there!
Help us raise funds!
The band have registered with smile.amazon.co.uk and would be grateful if you would access the Amazon site via this link if you are purchasing anything. Amazon have will donate 0.5% of all eligible purchases (excluding VAT and delivery charges) to your chosen charity, at no cost to yourself (other than the purchase price of the goods which you would have been buying anyway).
To select Kilmarnock Concert Brass as your chosen charity, type smile.amazon.co.uk into your browser, log in (you may need to create an account if you are not already registered with Amazon), and search for our name under the 'or pick your own charitable organisation' bar below the box listing the five main featured charities (see image below). Smile.amazon.co.uk then directs you to the main Amazon site where you can start shopping.
Every penny you donate helps the band with running costs, purchase and maintenance of our instruments and purchase of music, which allows us to continue to provide music for our community, continue the brass banding tradition in Ayrshire and provide instruments for our members and any new members wishing to join us.
Remember - to donate, you must access Amazon through the smile.amazon.co.uk link or we won't receive the donation!
To select Kilmarnock Concert Brass as your chosen charity, type smile.amazon.co.uk into your browser, log in (you may need to create an account if you are not already registered with Amazon), and search for our name under the 'or pick your own charitable organisation' bar below the box listing the five main featured charities (see image below). Smile.amazon.co.uk then directs you to the main Amazon site where you can start shopping.
Every penny you donate helps the band with running costs, purchase and maintenance of our instruments and purchase of music, which allows us to continue to provide music for our community, continue the brass banding tradition in Ayrshire and provide instruments for our members and any new members wishing to join us.
Remember - to donate, you must access Amazon through the smile.amazon.co.uk link or we won't receive the donation!
We need you!
We are looking for an 1st Eb Horn, 1x Eb tuba, 1xBBb tuba players and a tuned percussionist to complete our line up ahead of the Scottish Regional Championships in March.
We are a friendly team, with a good mix of concerts and competitions throughout the year and are working hard under the excellent directorship of M.D. Scott Walker to re-establish ourselves in the competitive arena after a break from competing.
Rehearsals are on Sunday evenings 7-9pm at Kay Park Parish Church, Kilmarnock.
If interested, please contact us via this website, our Facebook Page or via any band member.
We are a friendly team, with a good mix of concerts and competitions throughout the year and are working hard under the excellent directorship of M.D. Scott Walker to re-establish ourselves in the competitive arena after a break from competing.
Rehearsals are on Sunday evenings 7-9pm at Kay Park Parish Church, Kilmarnock.
If interested, please contact us via this website, our Facebook Page or via any band member.
Happy New Year!
We would like to wish our supporters and friends a healthy and happy 2018 with plenty of music, laughter and joy. Happy New Year, everyone!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
The band members would like to wish our supporters and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and say a big 'thank you' to everyone who came along to our concerts and donated their time, prizes or money during our fundraising events. Without you, we could not do what we do, so thank you all and hope to see you in 2018!
Christmas Concert 17th December 2017
The band are delighted to be able to offer tickets to our Christmas concert on the 17th December at a reduced cost thanks to the Tesco Bags of Help Scheme which awarded us money to provide two concerts over the next year.
In this age of austerity, we know how difficult it is for families to attend concerts as the price of even a family ticket is an expense. We have opened up the tickets as a BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE offer in an attempt to encourage people to bring friends or family along to listen to a varied programme with some old Christmas favourites and a few surprises thrown in!
Tickets are available from band members or by contacting Eileen Speirs on the phone number on the poster below.
The band are also playing a number of fundraising carolling gigs during the festive season and we hope you will come and listen if you hear us out and about! Details of all our gigs are on the diary page.
Competition success - Fife Charities 30/9/17
We are happy to share that the band competed at the Fife Charities Contest on Saturday and were pleased with our performance, which gained us the title of Best 4th Section Band. The contest was in the format of March, Hymn Tune and Test-piece, with each individual component being marked separately. A total of 17 bands competed, including 5 Championship section bands and a variety of bands from the lower sections.
The open contest (test-piece) was won by Bon Accord Silver Band, with Kingdom Brass and Unison Kinneil placing 2nd and 3rd overall. Best 1st Section band was Bathgate, Best 2nd section band Campbeltown Brass, Best 3rd section was won by our friends in Irvine and Dreghorn Brass.
We played Star Lake (March), Manchester (hymn tune) and A Malvern Suite (test-piece) and were placed 12th in the March, 13th in the Hymn Tune and 14th in the open contest. These results have given the band members a fabulous boost, with MD Scott Walker motivating and leading us in making improvements in our performance.
Our next contest is the Scottish Shield in November where we hope to improve and better our performance and yesterdays results have only made us more determined in our efforts!
The open contest (test-piece) was won by Bon Accord Silver Band, with Kingdom Brass and Unison Kinneil placing 2nd and 3rd overall. Best 1st Section band was Bathgate, Best 2nd section band Campbeltown Brass, Best 3rd section was won by our friends in Irvine and Dreghorn Brass.
We played Star Lake (March), Manchester (hymn tune) and A Malvern Suite (test-piece) and were placed 12th in the March, 13th in the Hymn Tune and 14th in the open contest. These results have given the band members a fabulous boost, with MD Scott Walker motivating and leading us in making improvements in our performance.
Our next contest is the Scottish Shield in November where we hope to improve and better our performance and yesterdays results have only made us more determined in our efforts!
Vacancies
Current vacancies include 4th solo cornet, Eb Bass, Bb Bass and tuned percussion. If interested, please contact the band via the website or the Facebook page.
Fond farewell
The band are losing our Bb Bass player, Karl Hoekstra. Congratulations from all of us on his promotion to Captain and we wish him every success in his new role in the skies.
Summer Concert 16th June 2017
What a fabulous night we had at our Musical and Movie themed concert on Friday evening! A capacity audience was treated to a variety of band numbers, including several solo numbers and a trombone feature, and some wonderful numbers by our guest vocalist, Aimee Penman. The band have posted some pictures here on the website, and on our public Facebook page.
We would like to sincerely thank all those who supported the band by attending the concert and hope you will continue to provide us with receptive, responsive audiences in the future!
We would like to sincerely thank all those who supported the band by attending the concert and hope you will continue to provide us with receptive, responsive audiences in the future!
Fife Charities Contest 22/4/17
The band played at their second contest of 2017 today at the Fife Charities, held in Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline and earned a respectable 3rd place result in the 4th section. We were drawn to play first, so we are happy with our overall placing, and it makes us even more determined to keep up our hard work and see further improvements in the future 😊
Scottish Championships Perth Concert Hall 12/3/17
The band are on the final run-up to the Scottish Championships on Sunday 12th March at Perth Concert Hall. It has been four years since the band last took to the stage as a competing band and all of us are looking forward to rejoining the rest of our banding colleagues in Perth.
The band would like to thank David Marshall for allowing us to rehearse in the Glencairn Suite, Glencairn Square, Kilmarnock tonight. It was a great space to rehearse in and is a great space for a private function too!
The band would like to thank David Marshall for allowing us to rehearse in the Glencairn Suite, Glencairn Square, Kilmarnock tonight. It was a great space to rehearse in and is a great space for a private function too!
condolences and best wishes 31/1/17
We are shocked and saddened by the news of the tragic death of a past band member, Joan Price last night in a road traffic accident , along with another past band member, Gillian who is currently in hospital.
The band send their condolences to Colin and the family, and hope that Gillian makes a speedy recovery.
The band send their condolences to Colin and the family, and hope that Gillian makes a speedy recovery.
Christmas Concert 18th December 2016
As always, tickets can be obtained from any band member as well as from the details on the poster.
Band Supplies Challenge Shield 19/11/16
Current vacanciesThe band had a fantastic day at the Band Supplies Scottish Challenge contest at the weekend, held in the Grand Hall, Kilmarnock. Twenty three bands from within Sections 1 - 4 performed own choice test pieces with the first prize going to J36, one of the invited English bands competing on Saturday. Kilmarnock Concert Brass performed as a non-competing band in Section 4b and were delighted with their performance. The adjudications by Brenden Wheeler and Alan Fernie were superb and the band have come away feeling determined to keep up the good work under the fantastic direction of our MD, Scott Walker.
The band are moving! Kilmarnock Concert Brass are taking up permanent residence within Kay Park Parish Church, a move which sees the band leave their council-rented premises to rehearse within the church. Kay Park Parish Church have long supported the band and we play regularly at church services and other special functions. The band are looking forward to playing in our new premises, which have recently been refurbished and upgraded to provide fantastic facilities for concerts and other activities.
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