Anne Crookston

Anne Crookston was born in Glasgow and has enjoyed a wide-ranging musical career, having been involved in choirs, brass bands, orchestras and wind bands for more than 40 years. Her earliest musical training was on tenor horn, moving to baritone aged 14. At the same time, Anne started playing oboe, later going on to study the instrument at Glasgow University, where she also conducted the Brass Ensemble, Wind Band and Orchestra before graduating with a BMus (Hons) degree in Music. Her brass band career began at Newmains in Lanarkshire. She moved to CWS (Glasgow) in 1986 and success soon followed when, in 1990, the band became the first from Scotland to win the National Championship title at the Royal Albert Hall. Anne moved to Whitburn Band in 1992 and remained solo baritone there until 2010, when she left to pursue a career in conducting. Following a short spell conducting Kingdom Brass, Anne was appointed Musical Director of Whitburn in 2011 and to the same positions with West Lothian Schools in 2013 and Bathgate Band in 2014. For the past three years she has worked with Newtongrange Silver band. As an adjudicator, Anne has a wealth of experience, having judged at local music festivals and solo and ensemble contests, as well as throughout Europe and North America at contests, including the European Youth Championship, Siddis Brass (Norway) and regional and national events in Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, the USA and most recently becoming the first woman to judge the British Open Brass Band Championship. Away from brass bands, Anne is Depute Headteacher at St. Margaret's Academy in Livingston, an external verifier for the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow and has completed a Master’s degree in Education.