Scottish Co-op Band Wins 29th Scottish Title

At the Caird Hall in Dundee on Sunday, 22nd March, 2009 the Scottish Co-op Band continued the good form it showed in Perth last November, when it won the Scottish Open Championship, by adding the 2009 Scottish Championship to its list of achievements. This is the twenty-ninth time the Co-op has won the title.

Beating off the challenge of nine other top Scottish bands bands, Scottish Co-op gave a fine performance of Gilbert Vinter's test piece "Salute To Youth" which, in the eyes of adjudicators Alan Morrison and Lt.Col. Graham Jones MBE, was sufficient to give the band a winning total of 193 points.

By winning the competition, the band took possession of the Hannaford Jubilee Trophy and also won the new James Abbot Memorial Trophy (presented for the first time by Mrs. Hillary Abbott, wife of the late James Abbott, a former President of the Scottish Brass Band Association) and £200 plus £150 from Kapitol Promotions who provided sponsorship which will assist bands attending the National Finals in London and Harrogate.

Arising out of the band's performance, three of its principal players won individual awards.
Simon Estermann won the Terris medal for best cornet, Gregor Stewart won the John Campbell award for best trombone and Matt Maines won the Bram Thompson medal for best horn/flugel. Congratulations to these three fine players!

By winning this competition, Scottish Co-op has qualified for an invitation to the final of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain in London's Royal Albert Hall on 17th October, 2009 and will also receive an invitation to the Scottish Open Championship on Saturday, 28th November 2009 in Perth. However, perhaps the icing on the band's cake is the fact that the band will be invited to represent Scotland at the 2010 European Championships in Linz in Austria.

This has been a good start to the band's year and the victories at the Scottish Open Championship and the Scottish Championships means that it currently leads the SBBA "Band Of The Year" award competition for the current year..

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