St. Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band won the 2019 British Championship, the first of the RSPBA’s five major pipe band competitions, today at St. James’ Playing Field at Paisley, Scotland.
In Grade 2, Closkelt maintained its consistency from last season and set out its stall with a fine run, taking the top prize.
Conditions were cold and overcast with some rain earlier in the day. The event was once again free for spectators who enjoyed listening to over 120 pipe bands.
The Grade 1 contest – an MSR – also marked the debut of Lomond & Clyde Pipe Band under the leadership of Don Bradford and Adrian Hoy. The band had a very good run but weren’t placed. Glasgow Police Pipe Band, with many new faces in its pipe corps, had some issues but had a decent run overall.
Results:
Grade 1 (MSR) – 1. SLoT; 2. Scottish Power; 3. Inveraray; 4. Boghall & Bathgate; 5. Field Marshal Montgomery; 6. Police Scotland Fife.
Best drum corps: SLoT
Judges: Maurice Rhodes and Bob Worrall (piping); Paul Brown (drumming); Cameron Edgar (ensemble).
Grade 2 (Medley) – 1. Closkelt; 2. Buchan Peterson; 3. Manorcunnigham; 4. Ravara; 5. Royal Burgh of Annan; 6. Portlethen.
Best drum corps: Buchan Peterson.
Judges: John Connor and Jim Wark (piping); Alec Dudgeon (drumming); Ciaran Mordaunt (ensemble).
Grade 3a (MSR) – 1. St. Mary’s, Derrytrasna; 2. The Highlanders (4 SCOTS); 3. City of Inverness; 4. Stockbridge; 5. Mackenzie Caledonia.
Best drum corps: St. Joseph’s.
Judges: Peter Hunt and Mark Faloon (piping); David Brown (drumming); Jim Baxter (ensemble).
Grade 3b (MSR) – 1. Turriff & District; 2. Dunbar RBL; 3. Milngavie; 4. Oban High School; 5. Scottish Borders; 6. Arbroath.
Best drum corps: Milngavie.
Judges: Harry Stevenson and Tom Brown (piping); Greg Dinsdale (drumming); Robert Mathieson (ensemble).
Juvenile (Medley) – 1. Dollar Academy; 2. George Watson’s College; 3. George Heriot’s School; 4. Preston Lodge High School; 5. Boghall & Bathgate.
Judges: Maurice Rhodes and Bob Worrall (piping); Paul Brown (drumming); Cameron Edgar (ensemble).
Best drum corps: George Watson’s College.
Grade 4a (MSR) – 1. Glenrothes & District; 2. Lower Clyde Pipe & Drums; 3. Augheronan; 4. Rothesay & District; 5. Royal Burgh of Stirling; 6. Stockbridge.
Best drum corps: Glenrothes & District.
Judges: Peter Hunt and Falloon (piping); D. Brown (drumming); David Brown (drumming); Jim Baxter (ensemble).
Grade 4b (MSR) – 1. Pitlochry & Blair Atholl; 2. Culter & District; 3. Camelon; 4. Strathendrick; 5. Kilbarchan; 6. Granite City.
Best drum corp: Culter & District.
Judges: Robert Shaw and Barry Donaldson (piping); William Black (drumming); Paul Turner (ensemble).
Novice Juvenile A (Medley) – 1. North Lanarkshire Schools; 2. West Lothian Schools; 3. Dollar Academy; 4. George Watson’s College; 5. George Heriot’s College; 6. Stirling & District.
Best drum corps: North Lanarkshire Schools.
Judges: Robert Shaw and Barry Donaldson (piping); William Black (drumming); Paul Turner (ensemble).
Novice Juvenile B (Medley) – 1. Lochgelly High School; 2. St. Columba’s School, Kilmacolm; 3. Renfrewshire Schools; 4. Kintyre Schools; 5. Oban High; 6. North Lanarkshire Schools.
Best drum corps: St. Columba’s School, Kilmcolm.
Judges: Robert Shaw and Barry Donaldson (piping); William Black (drumming); Paul Turner (ensemble).
The next major competition is the United Kingdom Championships at Lurgan, Northern Ireland on June 15.
• BagpipeNews was at the contest and will run an critique of the Grade 1 contest tomorrow, and the Novice Juvenile contest on Monday.
