Moray Concert Brass strike up in Elgin and Lossiemouth to spread Christmas cheer and boost charities
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MORAY Concert Brass were back on the streets to spread some musical Christmas joy this month.
The 40-strong community band performed their annual charity carol concert in Elgin and Lossiemouth on Saturday, December 18, after the pandemic halted the festive highlight last year.
Moray Concert Brass, founded and led by musical director Glenn Munro, has performed in the run-up to every Christmas for two decades.
They entertained shoppers with festive favourites and carols on the Green in Lossiemouth before decamping to Elgin's Plainstones later in the day to perform outside St Giles Church.
A total of £232 was raised in Elgin for Alzheimer Scotland, and the Lossie 2-3 Group and Outfit Moray will benefit from the £96 collected in Lossiemouth. The band also provided entertainment at Tesco Elgin on Thursday, December 16, raising £67 for MFR Cash For Kids.
Glenn said: "We have lots of ex-members of the band who have gone off to university who all come back and play for Christmas, so the band doubles in size for the carols. It was great seeing them all back – there are trombone players, tuba players, cornet players who all just appear from nowhere.
"It was nice to see people turning out after a horrible couple of years and just enjoying a bit of normality.
"And it was good to be back playing in the High Street as we haven't played there for a long time. Hopefully we're going to appear on the High Street on a few Saturdays throughout next year and get the band out and about, because it is Moray's band. There are kids from Forres, Buckie, Fochabers, Lossiemouth and Elgin, so it's Moray's Concert Brass basically."
He added: "The band is 30 years old in 2022, so we plan to do a few concerts throughout the year. We will be going on a west of Scotland tour, based in Oban, at the end of July. In August we will have a gala concert in Elgin Town Hall with special guests.
"Hopefully in the future we'll get the band back on tour in Europe again."
The players' last charity carol concert in 2019 was held in Cooper Park in aid of the high dependency unit at Dr Gray's Hospital.
Players of all ages and abilities are welcome to join the band and anyone keen should email Glenn at glennmunro42@gmail.com.
