IDB at the Borders!  On Saturday 4th November 2017, Scott Kerr made his debut as Irvine and Dreghorn Brass Band’s resident conductor. With the long drive to Jedburgh over and done with, the band donned their uniforms - in the form of Hawaiian shirts and flowery garlands – and prepared to take to the stage!

Opening with Simon Dobson’s Firefly, the band entered the hall to the funk-rock style of the drums and grasped the attention of their audience quickly with their vibrant, fun and exciting rendition. Moving to the more carefree sounds of the shore, the band’s Flugel player – Hayley Dickson – transported the audience perfectly to the Caribbean with her solo: Under the Boardwalk. With the adjudicators praising Hayley stating: “Flugel soloist – lovely sound with confidence aplenty” “Good playing – especially soloist” As the compere praised an excellent solo performance from the Flugel, he set the scene for the next piece:

“As we look out into the setting sun we see a pirate ship sailing into the distance. However there is an old legend in the Caribbean waters that frightens even the most fearsome sailors.” As the basses began their low grumbling notes to depict the monster roaming below the surface, the compere continued:

“Below the thunders of the upper deep, he sleepeth, Until faintest sunlights flee, The latter fire shall heat the deep, In roaring seas he shall rise, For the Kraken comes for all....” This is indeed Sandy Smith’s fantastic arrangement of Hans Zimmer’s “The Kraken” from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. This challenging piece was exalted by the adjudicators who expressed it as a “Solid Performance”. Keeping with the theme of the Caribbean the compere continued:

“As the sun is now set, we hear some salsa music in the air. Shah Asad Rizvi once said “Dance is the narration of a magical story; that recites on lips, illuminates imaginations and embraces the most sacred depths of souls, and Salsa is the dance of a hot summers night.” As the band were in position, the salsa music began, with members from the Euphonium and Trombone sections joining ranks in the Percussion section and four soloists at the front enjoying every minute, this was a perfect ending to a fun, energetic yet challenging programme for the band. Again, adjudicators were extrememly complimentary of our soloists: Derek Leitch on Cornet, “It was a great first outing with the band. The perfect opportunity for us to bring our ideas together, make some music and have some fun.” Dickson on Flugel, Anne Taylor on Tenor Horn and Michael Burton on Trombone. The band brought their finale to a close with a bang – and a little bit of a mess – with the addition of 2 confetti cannons! 

In the end, Irvine and Dreghorn Brass Band finished in 11th place. Upon reading the written adjudication compiled by Raymond Tennant and listening to the Voice-Over comments done by Les Neish, both well respected men relished the band’s performance stating that it was “Well played and directed”. Speaking with newly appointed Musical Director; Scott Kerr, after the performance, he said:

“It was a great first outing with the band for me. The perfect opportunity for us to bring our ideas together, make some music and have some fun.” The day also saw a debut contest for one of Irvine and Dreghorn’s youngest players, Charlie Boax. Being an active member of Irvine and Dreghorn Youth Band and with her parents also members of the senior band, it was only a matter of time before Charlie made her debut. Irvine and Dreghorn Brass Band would like to congratulate Charlie on her performance and hope to see her at many more to come. I’m sure she is now looking forward to the day that her two younger sisters are also old enough to join the band and Irvine and Dreghorn can welcome the full Boax ensemble! 

Rehearsals for the band’s next contest are well under way as they look forward to competing in the Scottish Open Championships with the hope of becoming Scottish 3rd Section Band of the Year 2017. As always, if you are interested in becoming a member of Irvine and Dreghorn Brass Band, or simply just want more information about the band and their upcoming events, then please feel free to visit their Facebook page or the band website: www.idbrass.com