Former RSPBA Adjudicator Alistair Aitken concludes his review, from an ensemble perspective, of the Grade 1 Medley performances at the 2018 World Pipe Band Championships held last Saturday on Glasgow Green. The Medley competition provided the bands with much more freedom to demonstrate the musical capabilities of the pipe band. Performances these days can be very innovative and exciting. It is sometimes unfortunate that some of the bands tend to favour technical proficiency…

This summary review of the performances in the Grade 1 Finals at the 2018 World Pipe Band Championships (WPBC) is based on what I heard from my seat in the main arena stand. As already reported this was the 71st WPBC under the auspices of the RSPBA and the 70th anniversary of the first time the event was held in Glasgow. Overall the Championships attracted a total of 214 pipe band entries…