SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020
Langholm Town Bands wait for success at the Scottish Championships is over following their performance in Perth on Saturday.
The band finished runners up to Croy Silver in the third section of the Championships. Drawn band number two the band took to the stage under MD Chris Shanks to play Endurance by Andrew Baker.
The test piece composed for this years regional Championships tells the story of Ernest Shakleton's ill fated trip to attempt to cross the Antarctic from sea to sea via the South Pole. The music conveys the bleakness of the location and the terrible hardships the explorers endured after their ship Endurance became stuck and crushed by the sea ice in the Southern Seas.
With the result the band have qualified for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain in Cheltenham in late September, it marks the first time in the 205 year history of the band that they have qualified to play in the third section National Finals.
The occasion will mark the bands third attendance at the National Finals following up appearances in the Fourth Section National Championships in Hammersmith Town Hall in London in 1964, and in the Harrogate International Centre in 2010.
The band have waited 10 years for this moment and over the time they have performed consistently, allowing them to maintain their position towards the top of the section.
The band are understandably delighted with the result and are particularly happy for MD Chris Shanks and a just reward for his dedication and guidance. Chris makes the journey from Cambuslang to Langholm for rehearsals most Friday evenings as well as continuing to play at the top level with both the Whitburn Band and the local Salvation Army band in Bellshill, as well as trips across the country with the Household Troops Band of the Salvation Army.
The British Bandsman commentary on the performance overall said "A very fine effort indeed. This is very good piece of music but a real challenge for their section. Langholm were smart where they needed to be and opened up when they could. A marker.”
And from All4Brass, "Good stuff. I do like how Chris Shanks has framed this piece. Details are shining through, it isn’t 100%, but it does have a feel of class. Careful not to lose a little tuning at the big moment near the end. Final big crescendo is nice and the final chord is pretty perfect. Good stuff guys – really well done."
