Pipe Major Ewan Henderson and Leading Drummer Arthur Cook have resigned from their respective roles at the Grade 1 Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band.
2020 was to have been the last competitive season for both. Cook said: “It has been my privilege to lead the drum corps to become Grade 2 Champion of Champions for two consecutive years and thereafter the World Championship band title and promotion to the top grade. I would like to wish ‘The Skye’ all the best for the future and hope that they will continue to have much success.”
Henderson said: “I wish to extend my heartfelt and sincere thanks to Arthur, and to everyone involved in The Glasgow Skye’s journey from 2015 to winning the Grade 2 European and World Championships in 2017 and promotion to Grade 1 in 2018. There is not one competition in Grade 1 where the band has not made a really good account of itself, and I am really proud of what everyone has achieved in a relatively short space of time.”
A spokesman for the band said: “The committee would like to record their heartfelt gratitude to both Ewan and Arthur for all their commitment, musicianship and hard work throughout their respective tenures at The Skye. While we are naturally disappointed that they have decided to step down, we respect their decisions. Arthur has been a stalwart in pipe bands with some 47 years of service with various bands. We are lucky that The Skye formed part of his pipe band journey and would like to wish him all the best in his retirement.
“Like Ewan and Arthur, we are disappointed that the 2020 competition season has been cancelled. This does however allow us some time to pull together and make plans for the band to progress in grade one from the 2021 season onwards.
“With this in mind, the committee of the Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band would like to welcome applicants and expressions of interest for the Pipe Major and Leading Drummer roles. Please contact the committee at the following email address: glasgowskyepb@gmail.com, where your enquiry or application will be met with the strictest confidence.”
Glasgow Skye is the promoter of the annual pre-Worlds concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.