LOCHGELLY Brass Band are rightfully making a lot of noise about their special recognition award.
Members were presented with the Cultural Award by Fife's Provost, Jim Leishman, at a ceremony in Kirkcaldy last month.
The 170-year-old band have been banging the drum about the importance of community involvement over the past year and undertook a series of collaborations and events to improve their involvement with the town.
"I think the reason for the nomination is that this is something the band’s worked on, being more present in the town, not losing focus on contests, but not forgetting that we’ve got a community," secretary Lynsey McIlwraith said.
She said the band has, for a long time, been a lifeline for members and a source of communication and friendship.
She said: “I think it’s if you’ve been working or been with kids, it's nice to come along and just make music.
"It’s about getting together with your pals, no matter what kind of day you’ve had. In Lochgelly, we have people who travel from all over. I travel from Airdrie, Jane travels from Oban and others from Dundee and Perth."
Last year, the musicians assisted Fife Council in their VE Day 80th anniversary celebrations, playing old 30s and 40s tunes to children from local primary schools and residents of nearby care homes. At the gala day event, they led the parade for the first time.
The band also opened the doors to their Russell Street hall for a 'Carols at our bit' event, where residents could pop in at Christmas time to hear classic carols and be treated to warm soup and mulled wine.
Lynsey continued: "It started around 7pm, and we could see people already queuing! We had to get the band to stand up because we didn’t have enough chairs.
"We've made a real effort to be more community-focused, we have a new uniform, and we have little black diamonds on our uniform to represent the mining history of Lochgelly."
The band being more present in the town has also led to a rise in attendance at their shows, including their winter 'The Snowman' production, an event where they played the soundtrack along to the film.
Last year's event was sold out with one screening; this year, they put on two, and Lynsey said next year they're planning a third performance to meet demand.
She added: "To go from 60 tickets to selling out a 400-seat auditorium is amazing, and it's lovely for kids who might have never heard a brass band before."
Looking ahead, they are preparing for the Scottish championships in March, where they will go head to head with groups from across the country.
Lynsey added: "We also have an exciting project in the pipeline for the summer, but more on that soon!"
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