SBBA Awarded £100,000

The Scottish Brass Band Association has been awarded more than £100,000 of funding from the Scottish Government's Youth Music Initiative. SBBA was named as one of the recipients of the £1.1 million of funding, receiving £100,000 following an announcement last month.

Carrie Boax, SBBA president told BBW, "I'm delighted that the Scottish Brass Band Association has been awarded the maximum amount of funding, highlighting the confidence that exists in our youth development strategy. The funding award will enable us to widen the opportunities available to young brass and percussion players. It will help establish new youth brass bands throughout Scotland and in doing so, give young people an opportunity to learn skills which will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives."

The SBBA have been doing great things in Scotland for many years, one of its flagship initiatives being the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS). Only yesterday (April 6) NYBBS gave the Scottish premiere of a new work by one of the UK’s most high profile composers, Paul Mealor. The work entitled The Heart of Hidden Flame was performed in the chapel of Strathallan School at an open rehearsal during NYBBS’s Easter residential course.

The performance, which took place with support from Creative Scotland, formed part of the on-going 2016 Easter course (April 5 – 8). In the attractive surroundings of Strathallan School, members of the senior and reserve NYBBS bands are currently enjoying a few days of intensive rehearsal under conductors Russell Gray, John Boax and Richard Evans. For the senior NYBBS the focus is on preparations for its forthcoming tour of Norway this summer.

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