This was the second occasion on which West Lothian’s Education and Cultural Services department has showcased the plethora of musical talent which exists amongst the school children of the area. The performances are a tribute to the commitment of the Instrumental Music Team and the music staff within the district’s schools.
The concert was also dedicated to the memory of Brian Duguid, a former Arts Manager for West Lothian Council, who died in December 2005 after a long illness. Brian was responsible for developing the district’s policy, encouraging the free teaching of music in schools from primary 6 onwards. Brian was also a strong supporter of the West Lothian Schools Brass Band, and he helped to provide the opportunity to achieve the success which the band has enjoyed over the years. Brian will be sadly missed.
The concert was held in the magnificent setting of the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, as it was two years earlier in 2004. As a ‘normal’ member of the audience, my only complaint was the amount of space reserved for VIP’s. After paying the considerable ticket price, the ordinary people only had the choice of limited seating in the front stalls. Both balconies and a considerable area of the stalls were reserved, resulting in my view being a somewhat neck-breaker from the third row. This is something which West Lothian Council should consider when you take into account that it is the children of the ticket buying audience who are providing the entertainment!
The concert itself had contributions from a large number of music groups from West Lothian including the West Lothian Schools Wind Ensemble conducted by Colin McKenzie, The West Lothian Schols Concert band conducted by Jane Callow, the NYCoS West Lothian Choirs conducted by Barbara Poynter, the West Lothian Schools Guitar Ensemble, the West Lothian Schools Senior & Junior String Orchestras conducted by Chris Gray & Laura Ann Brown respectively, the West Lothian Schools Jazz Ensemble and, of course, our own West Lothian Schools Brass Band. The compere for the event was none other than Dougie Vipond, the well known founder of Deacon Blue and latterly BBC Scotland football pundit, who it transpires had experienced the West Lothian Schools Instrumental Music tuition programme at first hand, initally as a brass player, but more successfully as a drummer!
The Brass Band featured in the first half of the concert under the direction, as usual, of Nigel Boddice. They began their section with ‘Trumpet Blues and Cantabile’ by Harry James. They then continued with ‘Conquest of Paradise’ by Vangelis, arranged by Alan Fernie. This was followed by ‘Gymnopodie’ by Erik Satie, arranged by Adrian Drover - better known as the atmospheric music used on the Cadbury’s Flake adverts (showing my age?). Picking up the pace, the band then gave a rousing performance of ‘That’s a Plenty’ by Lew Pollack, arranged by Goff Richards, as featured during the band’s Scottish Youth Championship wining programme in November 2005. As a finale to the first half of the concert, the band joined forces with the NYCoS West Lothian Choirs to perform ‘Riverdance’, with a dance accompaniment provided by Lori Black.
After the interval, the band had a long rest until the finale - a world premiere of ‘The Declaration of Arbroath’, by Andrew Duncan. This piece also required the narration talents of Dougie Vipond and additional musical input from the NYCoS Choir and the Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band.
After this fitting finale, the band continued with a piece of music, the title of which escapes me (can anyone else remind me of the title?), during which all the participants not already on the stage came streaming into the hall to rapturous applause, accompanied by pyrotechnics and cascading confetti. As the participants began to leave the hall and stage, the band then struck up with the theme from the popular Channel 4 series ‘Friends’. Unfortunately, we were destined not to get to the end of this piece as the band were forced to stop part way through when in full flight due to the pyrotechnics having triggered the hall’s fire alarm. The hall had to be rapidly cleared, and the concert ended in chaos and confusion! Not the ending we expected, but it was still a memorable occasion - mainly for the music and talents of the West Lothian
