PEEBLES Burgh Silver Band competed in the Scottish Brass Band Association Scottish Championships (4th Section) earlier this month at Perth Concert Hall.

There were a total of 14 bands competing in the 4th Section and, unfortunately, the Peebles band were drawn to play first at 9.30am which meant a very early start on Sunday morning.

Following weeks and months of extra rehearsals the hard work finally paid off and the band were awarded third place with 178 points - and a promotion to the third section next year.

The winning band was Brass Sounds, Inverclyde who won with 181 points - only three points above Peebles in third.

The adjudicators were David Thornton and Kevin Wadsworth.

The Peebles Burgh Silver Band contest piece was entitled “The Journal of Phileas Fogg” and was written by that doyen of brass band composers, Peter Graham.

Phileas Fogg is, of course, the eponymous hero of Jules Verne’s epic novel “Around the World in Eighty Days” and the composer has drawn on various elements of the work to create a musical travelogue.

The piece is made up of ten vignettes describing a series of adventures as recorded in the diary of Phileas Fogg which include observing the Can Can in in Paris, being chased by Cossacks in the Steppes, waltzing in Vienna and attending a bullfight in Seville.

The range of geographical locations referenced in the music has allowed Peter Graham to create a variety of soundscapes which are both colourful and tuneful. This has made it a very enjoyable piece to practice and play (not something which can be said of many contest pieces).

Hilary O'Hara, secretary of Peebles Burgh Silver Band, told the Peeblesshire News: "We would like to give a special mention not only to our conductor Stephen Baird for leading the band to success but to all the junior players, Sophie Ward Murray, Theo Ward Murray, Andrew Wilson, Lukas Boettcher, Alexa Smith and Anya Wilson, who coped very well playing under contest conditions.

"Finally, we would like to congratulate our Principle Cornet Player Reece Ward Murray who played impeccably throughout the piece and his solo, all at the tender age of 16!"

Peebles Burgh Silver Band are holding their Spring Concert on Saturday, May 7 in the Burgh Hall, Peebles at 7.30pm.

The band will be playing the same piece on the night so everyone is welcome to come along to hear it.