Progression Continued

20^th May 2023

The blue arched doors gape, welcoming me into the holy dwelling.  I enter the North Church of Penicuik, spying my fellow band members through the glass backed vestibule.  We’re here to perform a Celtic Concert for the people of the town and beyond.  Alloway Tales, Brave, Danny Boy, Farewell to Stromness to name a few and a loud Loch Lomond finale.  

I walk towards the altar, where the band is set up, the players busy erecting stands while the audience trickle in.  We have family members, and many others, old and young, all cheerful and anticipating a good night.  It looks calm, peaceful, murmurs multiplying, slipping around the chairs, coats, handbags, smiles, but underneath lies commotion, and hard work. Venue confirmations are agreed, fliers and adverts are made, distributed, family encouraged, and practice, practice, practice.  We bring along our commitment and enthusiasm.  

Penicuik Silver Band are one of the oldest in Scotland, historical records going back to the 1830’s.  Together, with the Salvation Army band, they marched in 1915, as the band of The Third Royal Scots.  Brave men, some paying with their lives.  We are not at war now, but we do have battles.  Silver bands have been diminishing for years, popularity dwindled, giving way to Hip hop, Rap, R&B, Indie Rock, and Techno, Techno, Techno.  But we still have a place.  We fight for that place.  We fight to keep our band alive.  Every practice, every Hunter and Lass Parade, every concert we play, we tussle to keep going, to attract the young, who are our future.

Tonight, this concert is a celebration and fundraiser.  Our efforts in March, at the Scottish Championships in Perth, qualified us to go to Cheltenham for the National Championships of Great Britain.  Now another fight begins.  We need funds to get there.  The day of the competition looms, we progress, but not before we praise and thank all concerned for our success, from the generous audiences to family and band members’ fundraising efforts, and to our conductor Dougie Anderson, as well as to John Dickson, conductor of St David’s Brass and local Youth Bands, who very kindly gives up his valuable time to ably help conduct, and support us when required.   

Cheltenham, here we come.