This Saturday, Perthshire Brass will compete in the Third Section of the Scottish Brass Band Championships to be held at Perth Concert Hall, performing the set testpiece "First Suite in Eb" by Gustav Holst. Brett Baker and Leigh Baker will adjudicate the 10-strong bands in the section, with the top two placed bands invited to perform at the National Finals in late September.
The band have enjoyed the challenge of working on the testpiece, which included a productive rehearsal weekend in Pitlochry both musically and socially! Holst’s composition however, is not unknown to the band, as it was also the set work Fourth Section of the Scottish Championships in 1983. Saturday’s performance will see two members of the band taking to the stage to play "First Suite in Eb" with Perthshire Brass for a second time.
"We were 3rd last year so an improvement on that would be fantastic, and one thing is for sure, we will give it our best shot."
Looking ahead to the contest, the band's conductor George D. Annan is looking to continue the band’s strong showing at last year’s contest, where they finished 3rd. "I’ve really enjoyed working with the band on First Suite, it’s a very enjoyable piece of music. My intention for Saturday is for the band to put on a performance that we are all proud of. We were 3rd last year so an improvement on that would be fantastic, and one thing is for sure, we will give it our best shot. I love Perthshire Brass, and a day out with the band, whatever the result, is always one to remember."
The Third Section will commence on Saturday morning at 09:30, with results expected around 12:30. For those not able to attend the contest in person, updates throughout the contest weekend will be available via the SBBA Twitter account.