In October last year I was contacted by the author Iain Duncan seeking some assistance with regard to Northern Ireland’s Grade 1 bands for a project he was working on relating to the World Pipe Band Championships.
As the months went by Iain’s project developed into a publication entitled ‘Around the Worlds’. It focusses on the development and evolution of the Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championship and also the RSPBA.
The book traces the history of the Grade 1 Worlds from its origins at the Cowal Gathering in 1906, through to its being taken over by the SPBA in 1947, and then onto the present day. Throughout its existence ‘the World’s’ has seen many changes and controversies all of which are detailed.
The history of the Scottish Pipe Band Association, central to the development of the ‘Worlds’ competition, is explained, however Iain’s research reveals other organisations all attempting to impose rules on the pipe band scene, particularly within the Highland Games circuit, with varying degrees of success.
Many of my friends in the Northern Ireland pipe band community reminisce about their trips to the Cowal Gathering which ended in 2013 and this and other personal information gives the book a human touch.
While this history is primarily aimed at the ‘Worlds’, Iain goes to some lengths to explain the background to the Cowal Championships after it lost the ‘Worlds’ title post-WW2, up to its losing ‘RSPBA Major’ status several decades later – and the reasons behind that decision.
The book closes with seven appendices containing a wealth of information covering the Champion of Champions from 1960, the development of the five majors from 1947, the Grade 1 Arena and Stands, the Guest Marquee, RSPBA Coat of Arms, (R)SPBA General Secretaries, Life Members, and a full list of Worlds Grade 1 winners from 1906 – 2025.
Many congratulations to Iain for his initiative in tackling this project, and most importantly for his meticulous research which has contributed significantly to making this publication such an enjoyable read.
There are so many aspects to pipe band history, e.g. bands, associations, competitions etc, all of which have an important place in our social history. They really need to be researched and written up, so all credit to Iain for recording this mass of information for posterity.
If you are interested in acquiring this impressive publication, then copies can be ordered directly from him via his email iainduncan751@btinternet.com. The book is in A4 size, has 86 pages, and is priced at £15 per copy plus postage. Within the UK, for 1st Class Large Letter size, this comes in at £3.60, making the total cost £18.60.
Digital Books from the PP Shop
Just to add to Gilbert’s comments… many pipers and drummers “around the world” reminisce about the “glory days” of trips to Cowal, which represented the final Major of the season, until regrettably it was removed as a Major because the RSPBA leadership at that time decided that it wanted to announce the Champion of Champions award at the conclusion of the World Championships, typically held 2 weeks earlier. Cowal was always a great hunting ground for the great Irish bands (north and south) of the 70s and 80s including Finton Lalor, St Patricks, Robert Armstrong Memorial, and which served as a springboard for the emergence of FMM and SLOT as elite bands in recent decades. I look forward to reading the book described above.