Adjudicators for Saturday
Below is some information about the two adjudicators who will be judging the bands at the West of England Regionals on Saturday.
Nigel Boddice MBE, Hon. A.R.A.M. For his musical input and work with the youth of Scotland generally and West Lothian in particular, Nigel has been awarded the MBE in the 2005 Queen’s Birthday Honours. For much of the last ten years has enjoyed travelling throughout Europe to conduct bands of all combinations. Highlights include the appointment as Chief Conductor to the Royal Norwegian Navy Band where for seven years he helped to develop a far reaching reputation for the ensemble whilst discovering new music, working alongside international soloists and cutting six excellent cd’s which have all received fine reviews. Back home in Scotland Nigel has enjoyed the standards set at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with both wind and brass orchestras, the National Youth Wind Ensemble of Scotland for some six years, and the two much heralded cd’s Celebrations and The Gathering cut by the West Lothian Celebrity Winds, featuring many fine contemporary works from in particular Scottish composers. In recognition of this noted development work the R.S.A.M.D. invited Nigel to join the conducting faculty where he presently enjoys and performs a valued role with all ensembles as required. As an educationalist within music, which stems from his 21 year association with the West Lothian music service there are frequent invitations and visits to summer schools and courses worldwide which have ranged from all the four corners of Scotland to regular forays into Europe and U.S.A. most recently to the West of Scotland Schools Concert Band., Scottish Chamber Orchestra 's Winf Farm, the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Wales, and the German Hochsaurlandkreis Festival. The Boddice family are steeped in the brass band world and he was taught in the local band at Church Gresley before developing at the NYBBGB and then on to the Royal Academy of Music as a trumpeter. It was also the brass band movement that gave Nigel his first chances to conduct and provide the backdrop for his current work which has culminated in 2007 by winning the Scottish Brass Band Championships which gave Nigel a unique double success , both Youth and Senior titles held simultaneously thanks to West Lothian and Kirkintillioch band. Over the years he has worked with most of the top Scottish bands and has guest directed at YBS, Manger , Silkeborg and more recently in Molde on the beautiful fjord coast of Norway and where in 2007, the new CD called 'Cheese' sold out within 3 weeks. This has since developed into invitations to adjudicate at European, National, Norwegian, Danish, Scottish, Northern and Yorkshire championship competitions whilst for individual levels he was appointed as external examiner at the University of Salford and at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. For his special association with the young musicians of West Lothian he accepted the inaugural presentation of the Mortimer Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians in London and for his prolific presentation of contemporary music he was honoured by the Scottish Composers Society. Nigel Boddice’s career has been built on the solid foundation of a twenty year appointment [ 1975-95 ] as principal trumpet with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and subsequent conducting engagements with the BBCSSO, the Ulster Orchestra and the Armenian Chamber Orchestra ’ Serenade’ in Yerevan as well as a host of freelance orchestras giving him a strong repertoire base in several mediums. Alan Fernie DRSAM, Dip NCOS Alan Fernie was born in the Scots mining village of Newtongrange. At the age of 13 he learned to play trombone both at school and with the local brass band, and he went on to study music in Glasgow and London.
After a short period as an orchestral musician, Alan moved into instrumental education, spending over 20 years teaching in schools all over the East of Scotland. It was during this time that he began conducting, and he has since directed bands at all levels, winning many awards.
He began writing for brass whilst still a student, and his music is now published, performed and recorded throughout the world.
Alan now lives in the Scottish Borders, working as a freelance musician. He is principally a writer, but also finds time to conduct, teach, perform, adjudicate, lecture and act as compere throughout the UK and beyond.
Released On 9th Mar 2009
