Inveraray & District Pipe Band won the 2019 World Pipe Band Champions in Glasgow today. It was a day of sunny and warm weather conditions at Glasgow Green albeit windy and rainy at times.

Pipe Major Stuart Liddell • Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news

The band competed over two days against 14 other finalists in the Grade 1 competition, a tough challenge and one that is unprecedented in the history of pipe band competiton.

Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news
Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news
Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news
Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news
Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news
Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news
Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news
Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news
Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news
Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news
Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news

In another tight Grade 2 final, St Thomas Alumni (USA) took the top prize.

Despite the mostly good weather today, the Grade 1 arena was noticeably never completely full. Indeed, for most of the time it was between half and three-quarter full.

The March Past commenced at 5.30pm with the results completed at 7.45pm.

Grade 1 – 1. Inveraray & District; 2. Field Marshal Montgomery; 4. St Lawrence O’Toole (Eire); 4. ScottishPower; 5. Simon Fraser University (Canada); 6. Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia.
Champion of Champions – Inveraray & District.

SLoT competing in the MSR competition today.
SLoT competing in the MSR competition today.



SFU in final tuning prior to playing its MSR earlier today.
SFU in final tuning prior to playing its MSR earlier today.

Grade 1 MSR – 1.
Drumming – SLoT.
Judges: William Garrett and Gordon Lawrie (piping), Mark Wilson (drumming) and David Brown (ensemble).

Royal Burgh of Annan marching into the circle in Grade 2 earlier today.
Royal Burgh of Annan marching into the circle in Grade 2 earlier today.

Grade 2 – 1. St Thomas Alumni (USA); 2. Closkelt; 3. The Pipe Band Club Australia; 4. Celtic, Nelson (New Zealand); 5. Peel Regional Police (Canada); 6. Uddingston Strathclyde.
Drumming – Ravara.
Champion of Champions – Closkelt.
Judges: Ken Eller and Peter Hunt (piping), Sandy Steele (drumming) and Nat Russell (ensemble).

Grade 3A – 1. St Joseph’s (Eire); 2. Stockbridge; 3. St Mary’s, Derrytrasna; 4. City of Inverness; 5. Beinn an Tuirc Kintyre 6. The Highlanders (4SCOTS).
Drumming – Stockbridge.
Champion of Champions – St Mary’s, Derrytrasna.
Judges: Alan Ronaldson and Tom Brown (piping), Alec Dudgeon (drumming) and Anthony Sloane (ensemble).

Grade 3B – 1. Tullylagan; 2. Oban High School; 3. McNeillstown; 4. Kilmarnock; 5; Dunbar RBLS; 6. Belgium Blend (Belgium).
Drumming – Williamwood.
Champion of Champions – Oban High School.
Judges: Terry Lee and George Wilson (piping), Alexander Russell (drumming) and Gordon Craig (ensemble).

Juvenile – 1. Dollar Academy; 2. George Watson’s College; 3. George Heriot’s School; 4. St Thomas Episcopal School (USA); 5. Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia;’ 6. Preston Lodge High School.
Drumming – George Watson’s College.
Champion of Champions – Dollar Academy.
Judges: Colin Moffett and Peter Snaddon (piping), William black (drumming) and Paul Turner (ensemble).

Mid Argyll Pipe Band earlier today.
Mid Argyll Pipe Band earlier today.

Grade 4A – 1. Glenrothes & District.; 2. Methil & District; 3. Pitlocjhry & Blair Atholl; 4. MacDonald Memorial; 5. Aughoran; 6. Lower Clyde Pipes & Drums.
Drumming – Glenrothes & District.
Champion of Champions – Glenrothes & District.
Judges: Brian Switalla and Ross Walker (piping), Paul Brown (drumming) and Ciaran Mordaunt (ensemble).

Sri Dasmesh Pipe Band from Malaysia are Grade 4B World Champions
Photo:JohnSlavin@designfolk.com/Bagpipe.news

sGrade 4B – 1. Sri Damesh, Malaysia; 2. Culter & District; 3. Camelon & District; 4. Vale of Atholl; 5. Mountjoy; 6. William Kerr Memorial.
Drumming – Sri Damesh.
Champion of Champions – Camelon & District.
Judges: Brian Switalla and Ross Walker (piping), Paul Brown (drumming) and Ciaran Mordaunt (ensemble).

Novice Juvenile A – 1. North Lanarkshire Schools; 2. West Lothian Schools; 3. George Watson’s College; 4. Dollar Academy; 5. Stirling & District Schools; 6. Lochalsh Junior.
Drumming – North Lanarkshire Schools.
Champion of Champions – Dollar Academy.
Judges: William Garrett and Gordon Lawrie (piping), Mark Wilson (drumming) and David Brown.

Novice Juvenile B – 1. Capital District Youth (USA); 2. Renfrewshire Schools; 3. North Lanarkshire Schools; 4. Kintyre Schools; 5. Lochgelly High School; 6. Bucksburn & District.
Drumming – Capital District Youth.
Champion of Champions – Lochgelly High School.
Judges: Ronnie McShannon and Maurice Rhodes (piping), Greg Dinsdale (drumming) and Jennifer Hutcheon (ensemble).

During the Grade 1 competition yesterday, the terrible weather forced event organisers, Glasgow Life to close the covered traders’ area amid safety concerns. The organisation cited gusts of up to 40mph having the potential to cause disruption at the event.

A spokesman for Glasgow Life said: “Our priority is the safety of all attendees at the World Pipe Band Championships. Due to the forecast of high winds on Saturday with gusts predicted of up to 40 mph, we made the difficult decision to cancel the covered traders area. The unpredictable effect of such gusts on this area and the potential to disrupt the wider event is uppermost in the minds of event organisers.”