Whitburn Youth Band - Whitburn Band

Whitburn Youth Band Committee

Chairperson Musical Director Secretary Treasurer Child Protection

Laura McMahon Caroline Farren Brian Walker Brett McMahon Linda Walker

Rehearsal Details:

Every Sunday

2.00pm – 4.00pm

Whitburn Band Hall, Market Place, WHITBURN

whitburnyouthband@hotmail.co.uk

www.whitburnband.co.uk/#/whitburn-youth-band

www.facebook.com/pages/Whitburn-Youth-Band

Whitburn Youth Band formed around nine years ago, however, following a brief period of inactivity, the youth band re-formed in 2009 into its present format.

It has received funding enabling the purchase of instruments and uniforms.

The youth band’s Director of Music is Caroline Farren, who has been playing in brass bands since 1992 when she began taking cornet lessons with Broxburn Silver.

Caroline has studied performance at the RSAMD graduating with a BMus (Hon.) in performance, continuing at Postgraduate and Masters Level, prior to leaving the academy in 2008. Caroline has performed regularly with major orchestras, is a brass instructor for South Lanarkshire and Falkirk Councils, and is involved in conducting school ensembles in both regions.

Whitburn Youth Band competed in its first major competition in November 2011 at the SBBA Youth Championships in Perth. Entering the ‘Preparatory Category’, it delivered a thoroughly professional performance, delighting the audience and adjudicators, achieving a ‘Gold’ award.

The band's first success came in September 2012, when they won the Innerleithen Youth Brass band contest under the baton of Chris Bradley.
The adjudicator Sam Hairsine, of the Royal Marines Band, summed it up with his assessment: “Whitburn displayed excellent presentation, accomplished playing and deportment from start to finish.”

In November that same year, Whitburn Youth Band contested the Novice section at the Scottish Youth Brass Band Championships held in Perth. Their first outing at the higher level, since debuting in the Preparatory Section at the 2011 event, saw the band achieve the Gold Award, placed second overall and presented with The Jimmy Motherwell Memorial Trophy.

The mandate was then set for the band to make their debut, in April 2012, at the National Youth Brass Band Championships of Great Britain in Manchester. Not to be overawed by the occassion, Whitburn Youth Band, wiht an average age of just 11 years old, attained a Silver award and placed joint fourth in the Junior Section.

To date, the band have held their second annual Whitburn Brass Festival with ever growing numbers in the solo competition and have even been requested to perform in their own right at the queen's crowning of East Whitburn Galaday in June 2013. The band will return after the summer holidays to prepare for the Scottish Championships in November.

The Whitburn Youth Band is always keen to recruit new members and it currently rehearses on Sunday afternoons in Whitburn Band Hall.

Whitburn Brass Festival 2013

The event held on Saturday 27th April 2013, saw 29 of West Lothian's finest brass and percussion playing kids, aged from 8 years old to 16, participate in our second annual Brass Festival. A marked increase on last year's inaugural event boosted by a number of entrants, from James Young High and Bellsquarry and Williamston Primary Schools, supplementing our home-grown talent from Whitburn Brass.

Accompanied on keyboards by Alan Hastie, the Junior Solos, with an upper age limit of 12, began the show with 13 players in the section. The Intermediate Solos, upper age limit of 16, followed and the brass section was completed by the Senior Solos of 18 and under. Percussion for players of any age completed the Solo competition.

Adjudicator for the day - Charlie Farren, gave the following results;

JUNIOR SOLOS

1. Arran McMahon (Whitburn) - Gold Award

2. Michael Harrison (Williamston) - Gold Award

3. Robyn Mitchell (Whitburn) - Gold Award

INTERMEDIATE SOLOS

1. Cameron McMahon (Whitburn) - Gold Award

2. John Walker (Whitburn) - Gold Award

3= Lois Kirk (Whitburn) - Gold Award

3= Owen Shade (Whitburn) - Gold Award

SENIOR SOLOS

1. Aimee Watson (Whitburn) - Bronze Award

PERCUSSION

1. Ryan Bradley (Whitburn) Gold Award

2. Jamie Buchan (Whitburn) Gold Award

3. Aimee Watson (Whitburn) - Bronze Award

The day also saw the second ever performance by the Whitburn Wee Band, conducted by Stewart Brynes, our first tier band, giving an insight to the positive future for Whitburn Brass as they rise through the ranks.

The event was also the chance to recognise the youth players of Whitburn Brass for their commitment and outstanding ability over the past year. The following players were rewarded as follows;

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

Katie Anderson (Baritone)

PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by C.M. OPTICAL, WHITBURN

Arran McMahon (Cornet)

BANDPERSON OF THE YEAR

Mark Elwis (Cornet)

We look forward to the event continuing to grow and hope the success of this year goes some way to attracting even more players for The Whitburn Brass Festival in future.

NATIONALS JUST GRAND FOR WHITBURN

With an average age of just 11 years old, Whitburn Youth Band went up against the cream of the UK’s youth brass bands as they travelled the long road to Manchester, for their first ever appearance at the National Youth Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, on Sunday 14th April.

Whitburn competed in the Junior section, as the sole Scottish representatives, against 11 other vastly more experienced bands and claimed a Silver award, finishing joint 4th, behind winning band – Fred Longworth High School of Tyldesley, Manchester.

The Youth Band’s Musical Director, Caroline Farren, had the band pull off a fantastic performance of brass favourite, Blaze Away, the upbeat Viva la Vida, hymn tune Aurelia and, for their finale, left an appreciative audience ‘Shaken and most definitely stirred’ with the iconic theme from James Bond.

East of Scotland Brass Band Association Solo Competition 2012.

A good turn out of competitors saw Whitburn Youth Band enter 7 players in the Junior and Intermediate categories. Our players achievements are as follows;

Junior:

Lauren Bradley (Cornet) = Silver

Rachel Harris (Tenor Horn) = Bronze

Arran McMahon (Cornet) = Gold

Hannah McMahon (Cornet) = Bronze

Robyn Mitchell (Baritone) = Silver

The Junior section was won by our own Owen Shade (Trombone), representing St. Margaret's Academy, and he has qualified for the Scottish Solo Championship Finals.

Aiden Shade (Euphonium) = Silver, is also a Whitburn Youth Band player and was representing St. Margaret's Academy

Intermediate:

Cameron McMahon (Euphonium) = 4th

John Walker (Euphonium) = 3rd

John will represent Whitburn Youth Band at the Scottish Solo Championship Finals.

GOLD AT PERTH

On Sunday 25th November 2012, Whitburn Youth Band contested the Novice section at the Scottish Youth Brass Band Championships held in Perth. Their first outing at the higher level, since debuting in the Preparatory Section at the 2011 event, saw the band achieve the Gold Award, placed second overall and presented with The Motherwell Cup, ahead of 11 other bands from all over Scotland.

One of two youth bands representing West Lothian, the band maintained its consistency finishing above more well established youth bands in the section and came hard on the heels of a well earned victory at the St.Ronan’s Youth Brass Band Contest in September.

The band sparkled on the big stage in their claret and gold uniforms, under contest conductor Stewart Brynes, and played the theme from the film ‘Rocky’, Pastime with Good Company, the hymn Nicea and rounded the performance off with the rousing theme from the hit TV show and Movie series, Mission Impossible. It was the first ever major performance for several of the players, whose ages range from just 8 up to 16 at present.

Contest adjudicators Professor John Wallace CBE and Raymond Tennant summed up the bands performance, “Exciting driven performance, overall excellent, and very well delivered.”

SUCCESS AT INNERLEITHEN

Whitburn Youth Band is rapidly gaining a reputation for having the midas touch when it comes to brass band contests.

On Saturday, September 22, it took part in the novice section at the inaugural St.Ronan’s Youth Brass Band Contest, which was hastily arranged to give youth bands a chance to perform in the lead up to the Scottish Championships.

Taking to the stage resplendent in their claret and gold uniforms, the band triumphed with a gold award - adding to the same accolade won at last year’s Scottish Youth Championships.

The adjudicator Sam Hairsine, of the Royal Marines Band, summed it up with his assessment: “Whitburn displayed excellent presentation, accomplished playing and deportment from start to finish.”

The youngsters, conducted by Chris Bradley, played Pastime with Good Company, the hymn Nicea, the theme from The Muppet Show and Mission Impossible. It was also the first ever contest performance for Katie Anderson (Baritone) and Aimee Watson (Percussion).

Whitburn Youth Band - associated with Whitburn Band, one of Scotland’s leading brass bands - now look forward to the Scottish championships in Perth in November.

WHITBURN BRASS FESTIVAL 2012

The inaugural Whitburn Brass Festival featuring one of the world’s most gifted tuba players has been a success.

Whitburn Youth Band hosted the event with guest soloist Les Neish in the town’s Brucefield Church on May 18 and 19.

The festival began with a masterclass from Les, who is a Besson tuba artist, with students from Whitburn Youth Band and Newland’s Concert Youth
in attendance. The gala concert which followed featured both Whitburn Youth Band and Exchange Communications Whitburn, with Les as guest soloist.

Under the direction of Musical Director Caroline Farren, the youth band played signature tunes such as Muppet Show theme and Pastime with Good
Company. It then featured its own rising soloist, as the band’s Tenor Horn player Jenny Elwis, 11, gave an outstanding rendition of Aura Lee (Love me
Tender). She was then presented with the Bandsperson of the Year award.

The senior band then took to the stage for the second half of the concert with Anne Crookston at the helm. The band’s programme included Olympic
Spirit, Selections from Titanic and Dundonnell from Hymn of the Highlands, which were all well received by an appreciative audience. Also performing
with the band, Les delivered outstanding performances, demonstrating technical and lyrical finesse in exceptional musical readings of Song for the
Skies, Swing Low and Hora Staccato.

To bring the concert to a rousing conclusion, both bands joined forces and presented Mission Impossible with 11- year-old Ryan Bradley from the
youth band excelling on drum kit.

The following morning, the youth band hosted the slow melody competition with Les as adjudicator. As always, he gave some wise words of
encouragement before and after the competition and managed to settle most of the nerves of the anxious youngsters taking part on the day.

In total there were 13 competitors over four sections. The junior section (under 12s) was won by the youth band’s cornet player Arran McMahon giving
a polished performance of Share my Yoke. Euphonium star Leighton Griffin from St David’s High, Dalkeith achieved victory in the intermediate section
(under 16s) with his sterling rendition of the Irish folk tune The Londonderry Air, with Lisa Callaghan of Loanhead Brass Youth winning the Senior
section (under 18, displaying a beautiful tone on the Flugel Horn. The Percussion Section was won by Whitburn Youth Band’s Aimee Watson, who
joined the band in December last year.

With the support of SBBA and Besson, the Whitburn Band organisation hopes the Whitburn Brass Festival will take place again next year and grow
into one of the highlights of the Scottish brass band calendar.

Youth Contest Results

Junior:
Arran McMahon (WYB), Gold, 1

Jenny Elwis (WYB), Silver

Rachel Harris(WYB), Silver

Aiden Shade (WYB), Silver

Owen Shade (WYB), Silver

Finlay Cook (WYB), Bronze

Robyn Mitchell (WYB), Bronze

Intermediate:
Leighton Griffin (St Davids High), Gold, 1

Cameron McMahon (WYB), Silver

Mark Elwis (WYB), Silver

John Walker (WYB), Silver

Senior:
Lisa Callaghan (Loanhead Brass Youth), Silver, 1

Percussion:
Aimee Watson (WYB), Silver, 1

Whitburn Band