A WEE COUNTY brass band has been chosen as 2023 Band of the Year for their respective category.

The Clackmannan District Brass Band finished top in the 2nd Section, outranking 11 others from across the country.

This caps off a highly successful year for the Clacks outfit, with band president Deborah Ross beaming with pride on their achievement.

She said: “This is the first year since 2012 that we’ve been Band of the Year since we won the Scottish, so it’s a good motivator for the band.

“They’re seeing that their hard work of 2023 is paying off. It’s a lot to ask of your members to attend six contests and all the rehearsals.

“We had a record breaking 23 festive engagements over the space of the four weeks so this is a great pat on the back for everyone to let them know the effort has been worth it.

“We’re really chuffed to win it.”

The band performed at more than 20 festive engagements last winter, with their hard work culminating in their big Christmas show, featuring all three of their outfits.

A specialist banner will be presented to the Clackmannan District Brass Band, celebrating their achievement as Band of the Year.

The band now looks ahead to their national contest in March which, depending on their performance, will decide if their remain in 2nd Section or if they are promoted/relegated to a different division.

The top two bands also have a chance to perform at a special show in Cheltenham, while the best bands in the highest category go to the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Over the year, bands accumulate points depending on their performances in contests, with the Clackmannan band scoring more points than anyone else in their division on 36.

Debbie added: “We accumulated 36 points because we had two third place finishes at the Scottish tournament last March and at the Shield.

“We’ve had three best sections in our contests and we’ve finished quite high up, so we’ve had good continuity this year.

“It’s been a good year for us and we’re chuffed to be voted Band of the Year.”