Co-op brass band wins Scottish Championships
The Co-operative Funeralcare band has won the prestigious Scottish Championships for the 31st time.
The 30-strong brass band competed against nine other bands in the top-flight Championship league of brass bands at Glenrothes, Fife, on March 11th to win the title for the third time in the last four years.
Each band played the same test piece, ‘The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’, and two independent adjudicators decided that The Co-operative Funeralcare Band performed it best.
Bass Trombonist Charlie Farren won the John Campbell award for best trombone and Caroline Farren won the Bram Thompson medal for best horn/flugel.
The band, which consists of 25 brass players and five percussionists, was conducted by Dr Nicholas Childs.
Band manager, Martin Stack, said: “We have one of the best brass bands in the world: they are real quality. Since it was formed in 1918 by Co-operative workers in Glasgow the band has won the Championships 31 times and that is by far ahead of our closest rivals. I’m tremendously proud of all of our members for their achievements.”
The band has also won the national finals twice and twice gained second place in the European Championships. They have made more than 20 albums and had a Gold album with Songs of Solace.
On 1 May the band will travel to Rotterdam to represent Scotland in Europe against bands from nine other countries.
