Field Marshal Montgomery (pictured today) were declared Scottish Pipe Band Champions at a warm and largely dry Levengrove Park, Dumbarton. The victory gave P/M Matt Wilson and P/Sgt Ben Duncan their first championship win. The Scottish was considered by many to be the first for Grade 1 this year given that the UK event at Ingliston, Edinburgh, earlier in the month only attracted two entries. Ten played at Dumbarton.
The other G1 places went to:
2 Inveraray
3 Shotts
4 Fife Police
5 SLOT
6 Boghall
with the drumming going to SLOT.
Each band had to submit two Medleys, one of which was chosen at the line. The judges in Grade 1 were: Piping – Mark Faloon, Robert Shaw; Ensemble – Cameron Edgar; Drumming – Jim Baxter.
Grade 2 (MSR)
1 Uddingston
2 Glasgow Skye
3 Annan
4 Manorcunningham
5 Grampian Police
6 Buchan Peterson
Drumming: Annan
Grade 3a
1 Texo Deeside
2 Macanta
3 Clogher
4 Uddingston
5 Maj. Sinclair
6 City of London
Drumming: McNeilstown
Grade 3b
1 Scot. Borders
2 Wallacestone
3 Elgin
4 Kilbarchan
5 Lower Clyde
6 City of Manchester
Drumming: Tweedvale
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Juvenile
1 G Watson’s
2 Dollar Acad.
3 G Heriot’s
4 Prestonlodge
5 Renfrew School
Drumming: G Watson
Grade 4a
1 Govan Community
2 Culter
3 V of Atholl
4 Williamwood
5 East Ayrshire
6 Ratea
Drumming: Govan
Grade 4b
1 Dumfries
2 St Andrews
3 Dunoon Argyll
4 1st Troon BB
5 City of Discovery
6 Uddingston Strath.
Drumming: Paisley
Novice A
1 W Lothian Schools
2 G Watson’s
3 Lochgelly High
4 Dollar Acad.
5 N Lanark Schools
6 Oban High
Drumming: G Watson’s
Novice B
1 Oban High
2 Glasgow High
3 Falkirk Schools
4 Kintyre Schools
5 N Lanark Schools
6 Lochgelly High Jnrs.
Drumming: Oban High
Easy and Intermediate Level 2/4 Marches
The two-part tunes are suitable for the beginner and the others for those at an intermediate stage of learning – or indeed those returning to piping after many years absence. They are the perfect follow-on to Tutor Books 1 & 2. They are all played in full on the practice chanter by Robert Wallace at both slow speed and then at…
I listened to juvenile and Grade 1 from front of ring facing pipers.
Both used the same final tuning up area…. Juv. pre-tuned over near buses or at top of park and then moved in turn to final tuning.
When time came for Grade 1 tuning, some Grade 1 bands were pre-tuning under the trees alongside the road just over the hedge from the Grade 1 Arena. This meant a lot of carryover of sound, drumming in particular, into the Grade 1 Arena. This can be clearly heard even now on the You Tube recordings of most of the Grade 1 bands. Also there was very large “bass” speakers booming from time to time in the amusement park. This could be clearly heard in Grade 1 Arena. There would need to be better control of the route bands take from pre-tuning to final tuning….. not much point in having the final tuning flag well clear of the arena and then allowing other bands to pre-tune in the space in between.
Does the current slowdown in the pipe band world present an opportunity to test new ways of competing to bring a bit of spark back, particularly in G1? For example … less restrictions to medley or MSR rules? Setting a theme or rules for that year, e.g., a “must not X” or “must include Y” type rules? Adding D&D back with an “up to the line” competition and / or best band on parade at the march past?
One wonders what (and how long) it will take for the piping and pipe band scene to recover to anything like the pre-Covid heights – it’s wasn’t so long ago that there were debates on capping numbers in the roster and on how best to run heats… Whilst fantastic to see the first “full” G1 contest of the year and as much as all those competing should be lauded and commended (for their commitment and perseverance if nothing else), the standard of playing and competition is still yet to return to where it once was. And, as one of the last G1 bands to be on the rise through the grades and within G1, I do hope that Johnstone – the whole system- can keep going and bounce back! The previous debates about “G1 plus ‘Premier Grade’” are academic if it will just be the same (“Premier”) bands at the top, and even worse for the pipe band scene in general if there is a smaller and smaller number of bands that remain active and competitive. And I’m not sure that the solo piping circuit is currently that different, other than that the top of Grade P/A which will (or should!) remain excellent. Is anyone against G1 contests moving to a Medley + MSR system like the Euro’s are due to be? I think it could be an interesting addition. I’ve always found the general interest at completions to be less when it’s G1 MSR vs G1 Medley.
It’s all about opinions but for me they were not the best band there yesterday or is just me it would be interesting to here what others think
Hi, in fact three grade 1 bands played at Ingliston – SLOT, Boghall and Johnstone