Since the beginning of the World Championships under the (R)SPBA in 1947, there is no doubt that Dysart and Dundonald’s rapid progress and Worlds achievement was a first.
‘The Dysart’ were upgraded to Grade 1 at the close of season 1972 and their impact was immediate. At Ayr in 1973 they placed 5th, at Stirling in 1974 they placed 2nd, at Corby in 1975 they placed 3rd, at Hawick in 1976 they placed 2nd, and at Aberdeen in 1977 they placed 1st becoming World Pipe Band Champions.
By Iain Duncan
At Lanark in 1978 they retained their title, becoming once again, World Pipe Band Champions. It’s no exaggeration to say other bands were in despair. Adding their success at other Majors, it seemed there was nothing Dysart could do wrong.
Their success continued into the late ’70s and early ’80s. At Nottingham in 1979 they placed 2nd, at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, in 1980 they placed 6th, at Aberdeen in 1981 they placed 5th, at Glenrothes in 1982 they placed 3rd, and at Bellahouston in 1983 they placed 4th. Their last appearance in the prize list at the Worlds was at Strathclyde Park, Hamilton, in 1985 where they placed 5th.
In 1976 at Hawick, they won the World Drum Corps Championship and repeated the feat in 1977 at Aberdeen, and three years later in 1980 at Bellahouston. (NB: At Corby in 1975 the World Drum Corps Championship was won by Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia under Alex Duthart.)
Dysart & Dundonald were declared Grade 1 ‘Champions of Champions’ in 1974, 1975 and 1976. Pipe Major Robert T. Shepherd MBE and L/D James King left quite a legacy.
Reaction to yesterday’s photograph
Bo Reilly: Photo back row – Gordon Maxwell, Wullie Burnside, Brian Donaldson, Bob Shepherd, Tam Brown, Lindsay Aird, Jake McKean, Geordie Shepherd, Gordon McClay, Dougie Young; Middle row – Wullie Mitchell, ??, James King, Peter (Bo) Reilly, Wullie Bell, Harry King, James MacFarlane; Front – Garry Stutt, Eddie King, Reid Maxwell; picture taken at Corby 1975.
Donald McBride: I remember Jim King telling me that 1975 at Corby was the first time they won the Worlds drumming.
Tam McGirr (Australia): I will have a pretty good guess at the names in the school classroom and big band photos. I’m convinced the adult band was Corby 1975. I was only a bairn…playing up in the Dysart. Here goes and please I could easily corrected. Bo Reilly may be a better account of the Corby photo.
Bob Shepherd’s school classroom: Back left – Allan Faulds, Stuart Ritchie, Sammy McPherson, ??; Back right – Keith McGregor, Robert Martin (Genghis). Middle left – Maybe ‘Pud’ Armstrong, ??, Alan Sheilds, Donald Brown. Seated – P/M RT Shepherd, Andrew Stark, Jim Menzies, Colin Page (‘Sparry’), ??; Table with bagpipes (left) – Billy Campbell, Steve Jeffries; (right) John Galloway, Tom (Tam) McGirr.
Dysart & Dundonald picture: Far left – ??, Wullie Burnside, Brian Donaldson, Bob Shepherd, Tom (Tam) Brown, Lindsay (Chad) Aird, Jake McKean, P/Sgt George Shepherd (senior), Gordon McLay (Puskas), Douglas Young (Big Dougie). Middle row seated – ??, Roy Adair, James King (Leading Drummer), Peter (Bo) Reilly, Wullie Bell (Drum Sgt), Harry King, Jim (Premo). Ground l-r: Gary Stutt, Eddie King, Reid (Coffee) Maxwell. I hope the memories of the photos and band warrant how great we all were in those days. Kind regards.
Logan Tannock: A little aside; when the Dysart band started it was in need of uniforms and I believe a plea was put out round the different colliery pipe bands. I was a very young member of Alloa Collieries at the time and they were in the process of changing uniform to Red MacPherson and black doublets. Our old uniform was Ancient Red MacPherson and, if I remember rightly, green doublets, and these uniforms were given to Dysart to help them out.
Trevor Clydesdale: The photo of Dysart and Dundonald is from Corby 1975, and it appeared in the Daily Record the following Monday. The drum corps did win the drumming title. The article in the newspaper is a fascinating read speaking of the young lads in the band and the feeling of disappointment at losing after such a run of success.
Donald Sutherland Collection – digital book
This is a digital, repeat digital, book which means you download it to your computer or tablet. This book has some very good music. It is by Donald Sutherland, a native of Rogart, Sutherland. It has been out of print for many years and is reproduced here as a service to followers of www.pipingpress.com. Tunes include Mary Horne, Kenny MacDonald’s Jig, Captain Lachlan MacPhail of Tiree and many other less well-known, but quality, compositions. The book is sized for use…
