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Young bands to head for national final after festival gold

Two Aberdeenshire youth bands are heading to the national final of an event after taking gold at a local level.

At the Scottish Concert Band Festival at Cults Academy on Sunday, (Nov 20) the South Central Aberdeenshire Music Centre won a gold award and the entertainment award in the Youth Wind Band Class.

The catchment for the Music Centre Youth Concert Band is: Mearns Academy, Mackie Academy, Portlethen Academy, Westhill Academy, Banchory Academy, Aboyne Academy, Alford Academy, Kemnay Academy, Inverurie Academy and Gordon Schools Huntly.

Conducted by brass instructor, Bruce Wallace, the band impressed the adjudicators with a staged rendition of the ‘Rage’ from band name ‘Rage Against the Machine’.

The band also played songs such as Critical mass by Todd Salter, Prelude to the 49th Parallel by Ralph Vaughan Williams, music from the Incredibles by Michael Giacchino and Sky Dance by Richard Saucedo.

The Mackie Academy Concert Band also took a gold award, in the Achieving School Wind Band class.

Their fine performance, showing excellent intonation and ensemble was under the direction of woodwind instructor Sarah Gove.

Their repertoire included works such as Solara by Eric Osterling, Highlights from The Chronicles of Narnia by Harry Gregson-Williams with arrangement by Jay Bocook, the old Scottish melody Auld Lang Syne and Creed by William Himes.

Both bands have now been invited to take part in the National Final of the Scottish Concert Band Festival on Sunday, March 18 at Perth Concert Hall.

“This is obviously an amazing achievement. We are very excited these bands performed so well leading to an invitation to perform in March,” said Aberdeenshire Council’s head of instrumental music service, Richard Paton.

“The achievement reflects the dedication to musical education of everyone involved and we look forward to seeing how they get on on the day.”

More information can be found here: http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/parentscarers/information/music_service/IMSEnsembles.asp

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