Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band are the UK Grade 1 Champions after a clear victory today in the grounds of Stormont Castle, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Grade 1
1 FMM
2 Inveraray
3 Scottish Power
4 Spirit of Scotland
5 Shotts
6 St Laurence
Drumming: Spirit of Scotland
G2:
1 Police Service N Ireland
2 Glasgow Skye
3 Johnstone
4 Buchan Peterson
5 Lomond & Clyde
6 Closkelt
Drumming: Glasgow Skye
Grade 3a went to Colmcille (drumming Aughintober), G3b to Matt Boyd Mem. (drumming to Bothwell Castle), Juv to Dollar Academy (drumming to George Watson’s) , 4a to Cleland Memorial (drumming to Ullapool who were also 2nd in the grade), 4b to St Mary’s Derrytransa, Novice A to Dollar Academy and Novice B to Preston Lodge.
Get full summaries here.
All eyes were on Grade 1 where bands had to play an MSR. Was Inveraray’s victory at Paisley a flash in the pan or a sign of sustained progress? Would Field Marshal’s dominance in piping finally give them a victory on home soil?
There was a record entry of 115 bands, a 15% increase on last year. These included Dowco Triumph Street from Vancouver who opted to travel over for the UKs rather than the Worlds.
Entries were as follows: Grade 1 : 13, Grade 2 15, Grade 3a 14, Grade 3b: 16, Juvenile: 6, Grade 4a: 20, Grade 4b: 25, Novice: 6. Judges announced previously are as follows:
G1: Donald MacPhee, John Wilson, Alex Dudgeon, John Moles
G2: Jim Semple, Cameron Edgar, Bill Black, Alan Ronaldson
G3A: Colin Moffett, George Wilson, Harry Russell, Paul Turner
G3B: William Garrett, Jim Campbell, Paul Brown, Gordon Lawrie
Juv: Donald MacPhee, John Wilson, Alex Dudgeon, John Moles
G4A: Colin Moffett, George Wilson, Harry Russell, Paul Turner
G4B (1): Jim Semple, Cameron Edgar, Bill Black Alan Ronaldson
G4B (2): William Garrett, Jim Campbell, Paul Brown, Gordon Lawrie
Nov A: Winston Pollock, Peter Snaddon, Sandy Steele, Robert Mathieson
Nov B Winston Pollock, Peter Snaddon, Sandy Steele, Robert Mathieson
Read a report on last year’s UKs here.