Whitburn retain Scottish Brass Band Championship

Whitburn Band is celebrating after retaining its Scottish brass band championship title.

Whitburn, conducted by Florent Didier, won the competition on Sunday at Perth Concert Hall in a field of 10 bands performing Elgar Variations by Martin Ellerby.

It is the fourth time in five years that Whitburn - who is supported by commercial and residential property company Greyside Developments - has won the Scottish title, and the 24th time in its history.

The band also picked up four soloist prizes.

Chris Bradley was named Best Cornet for the tenth time, meaning he has now won the prize more than any other player in history.

Andrew McMillan won the prize for Best Tenor Horn, while Valentin Duc won the prize for Best Euphonium.

Paul Kiernan continued his remarkable personal record, winning his 21st Scottish title and picking up the Best Trombone accolade for the 13th time.

It was a busy weekend for the band, as the day before its contest victory Whitburn was on the pitch at Murrayfield, performing the French national anthem ahead of the Six Nations match between Scotland and France in front of a packed stadium and a global TV and radio audience.

Whitburn Band is now looking forward to representing Scotland at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, which will be held at the Royal Albert Hall in London in October, and will be invited to perform at the European Brass Band Championships in Switzerland next year.