Anne is musical director for town’s concert brass

Oct 29 2009 by Marjorie Kerr, West Lothian Courier

MEMBERS of Bathgate's Newland Concert Brass have unveiled their new musical director.

Anne Crookston graduated with a BA.Mus (Hons) from Glasgow University in 1988 and has a wide range of musical experiences, having been involved in choirs, brass bands, orchestras and wind bands throughout her career.

Anne's earliest musical training was on Tenor horn, moving to Baritone horn at the age of 14. At the same time, the school music department was given an oboe and Anne was the lucky pupil to have the first chance to play it.

She studied oboe with Hughina Naylor and Judith Herd and began playing piano.

Her brass playing continued and success followed shortly with CWS (Glasgow) when the band became the first Scottish band to lift the National Championship title in 1990.

She moved to the Whitburn band, (Scottish Champions in 2008), in 1994 where she is still a member.

Whilst studying at Glasgow University, Anne began conducting the University Brass ensemble and Wind Band and later, she was given the chance to conduct the University Orchestra and conducting and arranging music for the Whitburn Band has been her latest career turn.

Anne is currently head of the performance and design faculty at St Margaret's Academy.

In the short time since she has arrived, she has already been involved in three concerts and also the Bathgate Music Festival.

The next performance for Newland Concert Brass is a concert on Sunday, November 1, at Boghall Parish Church which also involves Newland Junior Band.