2012 News

Frosty the Snowman Xmas 2012

Dec 15, 2012

This piece was the icing on the cake of our Christmas Concert. (No bias here!)

Christmas Charity concerts - 2011 and 2012.

Nov 25, 2012

For the 2011 Christmas Concert, our chosen good cause was Midlothian Special Needs Playscheme Monday Club. We believe you will agree that the funds so generously donated were well used when you read the following account of their trip to Kielder ....Kielder trip September 2012. 

A group of 12 departed Dalkeith on Friday, 14th September: 5 carers, 2 volunteers (from St. David’s High School) and 5 children. The journey took us 2 hours. 

We arrived at Kielder just in time to put our luggage in our lodges and go for dinner. After dinner we had to pick our activities for the weekend. The decision was, swimming in the hydrotherapy pool, climbing, zip wire, abseiling, orienteering and sailing. 

It was a very busy weekend and the children took part in all activities even when feeling a wee bit scared. 

We arrived back on Monday afternoon all sad that we had to come home, children and volunteers had had a great time. Carers were brought to tears on many occasions when seeing the children taking part in all the activities they had not had the opportunity to do before. 

It was a very tiring trip, so much so, that when Jean arrived home she noticed she had two odd trainers on, 1 pink and 1 white. We are already talking about our next trip. 

We would like to thank the band for giving the children the chance to experience time away from family and take part in activities that they never thought they could do. 

Jean 

.... This year, our Christmas Concert returns to St. David’s Church, where the parishioners are always so supportive and our chosen cause is again the Special Needs Monday Club. The pictures below are truly inspiring. 

This year's Concert is on Friday, 7th December at 7.30 p.m. We look forward to seeing you.

2012: Friday 7th Dec, 7.30 pm, St. David's Church, Dalkeith

Youth Band Championships

Nov 25, 2012

Well done, St. David's Budding Brass on gaining a Gold Award and coming Third in the Preparatory section.

Well done, St. David's Youth Band on gaining a Silver Award in the Novice section.

Welcome to new arrival!

Nov 14, 2012

Congratulations to Andy and Fi on the safe arrival on 9th November 

of their son, Freddie, weighing in at a sturdy 9lb 9oz.

New Rehearsal Venue

Aug 29, 2012

St. David's Brass Band has moved once more. We have vacated Newbyres Hall, Gorebridge and rehearsals will now be in Vogrie Hall, Gorebridge. The new hall is only 300m from the previous one.

Welcome to new arrival!

Jul 22, 2012

Congratulations to Kirsty and Stuart Dickson on the safe arrival this afternoon of their daughter, Mila, weighing in at 7lb 3oz.

A Legend Is Honoured

Jun 21, 2012

Sunday 17th June saw a surprise concert in the Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh, to mark 50 years of service to the Brass Band movement by John A. Dickson. 

Arriving at the Reid, John found an auditorium full of friends and family and pupils, past and present, waiting to surprise him with a unique scratch band formed especially for the occasion. Players were predominantly John's former and current pupils, along with colleagues and friends.

Featuring many of Scottish banding’s leading soloists and led by the charismatic Raymond Tennant, the band, of some 42 players representing 11 of Scotland’s best brass bands and also two special guests from Norway, tackled a thoroughly challenging and entertaining programme featuring many of John's favourite pieces from his 50 years experience.

The near capacity audience was enthralled from the start when the band romped through the opening March, Simoraine, before the first of the evening’s solo sections, with the Euphonium duet Deep inside the Sacred Temple given a classy performance by Scott Cameron and Michael Dickson, John’s eldest son. Next followed Siciliano from Little Suite for Brass. This music, used at John’s wedding to Fiona, who was also performing in the percussion section, is a lovely lilting piece that the band played with the appropriate care and attention to really show off the lyrical side of the brass band sound.  A complete change of style saw the featuring of the band’s Trombone section in Frolic for Trombones.  The section, swelled to double its usual number, thrilled the audience with their playing and brought rapturous applause on its finale.

The main feature of the programme was the performance of Land of the Long White Cloud.  The piece is a real tour de force for bands and was expertly handled by both conductor and players to bring one of the most exciting pieces of the evening to the fore. Serenade by Bourgeois allowed the band to again show their control and warmth before bringing the first half to a rousing conclusion with The Final Hymn from The Firebird.

After the interval, a presentation was made by Peter Fraser MBE, representing the Scottish Brass Band Association, giving John his Life Service Medal to a standing ovation.  Peter has known John for all of his 50 years in banding and made a touching speech to mark the occasion, taking the audience on a trip down memory lane with tales of the early years in John’s career.

The fireworks of the evening were provided when the band slammed their way through Birdland, complete with a lip smashing Jazz Cornet solo by John’s other son, Stuart, to bring it to a close.  Following this the band featured their Horn section in the jazzy number The Lady is a Tramp.  All four soloists were outstanding and handled the tricky number with ease.

After this John was summoned to the stage to play in the band.  He first thought he was to support his long time friend and the band’s Principal Cornet Hugh Foster and son Stuart, only for them to take seats in the audience and leave him to lead the band through Mr. Jums, before they returned to play a new arrangement, Lux Aurumque from the pen of local arranger Alan Fernie, another of John’s great friends.  The final section feature of the night was to be the Cornets playing Trumpet Blues and Cantabile featuring 7 players from five different bands, including John sight reading his way through, to the delight of the crowd.  People, arranged by Glyn Bragg, gave the band a little time to recover before bringing the house down with a huge performance of Procession to the Minster that nearly took the roof off the hall, to bring the concert to its finale.  Of course an encore was required and for this the conducting duties were handed to John to guide the band through the fittingly entitled, Music from The Incredibles, which allowed the band to really enjoy themselves and bring to a close a fantastic programme for a fantastic occasion. 

A band of this quality is rarely assembled and it was testament not only to John’s teaching but also his standing as a person in banding that these players were willing and able to produce such a fine performance in his honour.

Spring Concert

Apr 24, 2012

St. David's Brass will be performing their Spring Concert on 4th May. See Events page for more details.

Mini-concert success

Apr 24, 2012

The Youth Band and Beginners Ensemble recently performed an in-house mini concert for family members only. It was very well received by everyone who attended, with all Beginners keen to keep playing.