It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
Northern Ireland's Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band became the 2006 World Pipe Band Champions at Glasgow Green yesterday.
Grade 1
1st Field Marshal Montgomery (Ulster)
Also Robert Watt just won the World Championship Solo Piping Competition at the Lorient Inter-Celtic Festival.
As reported in the ‘Mid-Ulster Mail’:
“A SOUTH Derry man has won the World Championship Solo Piping Competition for the fourth time.
Robert Watt piped his way to success at the Lorient Inter-Celtic Festival, which was staged in Brittany last week.
The 28-year-old competed against 13 other world-class pipers to lift the MacCrimmon Trophy. His last victory in this competition was four vears ago in 2002.
Countries represented at the event were New Zealand, Australia, Canada, USA, Scotland, France, and Ireland, the latter boasting three competitors including Robert.”
Robert said:
"In the past few years, this competition has become recognised as the top prize in solo piping in the world," he says.
"Certainly, it's the best win I've ever had, in respect to the other competitors."
He explains that each country holds qualify events for the World Championship competition, with only the very best being selected to represent their respective lands.
"In other words, the best solo pipers in the world are there,"
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
Not quite Kevin:
“In August 1995 at Glasgow, Scotland, the band captured the ultimate prize on the globe, the Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championship.
A year later, the band returned to Scotland and captured the title again becoming the first pipe band from outside the United Kingdom to win the World Championship more than once.
In 1999, the band regained the World Championship title, winning the World Drum Corps Championship in the process, and most recently, the SFU Pipe Band was the World Champion in 2001!
In 2001 SFU also won the Australian Pipe Band Championship.”
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
Aye, an' they won the 'Champion of Champions 2006' at the Cowal Highland Gathering too!
"Champion of Champions 2006
Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band"
"COWAL HIGHLAND GATHERING CHAMPIONS CROWNED
The 2006 Cowal Highland Gathering was declared a great success with over 23,000 people visiting Dunoon stadium to take in the cream of Highland dancing and piping talent from all over the world.
The Cowal Highland Gathering lived up to its reputation as the world’s largest and most spectacular Highland Gathering with over 580 dancers, 111 solo pipers, 142 pipe bands and 12 heavy male athletes (including two Germans and two Czech athletes) and 4 female heavy athletes competing in this year’s event.
Highlights of the event, which ran between Thursday 24th – Saturday 26th August included the World Highland Dancing Championships, Cowal Pipe Band Championships, Solo Piping and Heavy Athletics.
Solo piper wins gold medal at Aviemore
Tartan Talk by WALTER PORTER
News Letter, Saturday, September 9, 2006
"PROBABLY the most coveted medal to be won by a solo piper worldwide is the gold medal at the Northern Meeting held in Scotland annually and it was won by an Irish piper for the first time when Alastair Dunn competed - only his second time.
Held at Aviemore Conference Centre, also for the second time due to renovations at the Inverness 'home' of this competition, Alastair, from Newtownards, has added another dimension of success to the solo piping scene in Northern Ireland, and which was awarded for piobaireachd playing - the classical music of the highland bagpipes.
Twenty-six last Tuesday, Alastair's latest success has been the birthday present he would have wished, and the heartiest of congratulations on his achievement.
Alastair started his piping career as a young boy with the Northern Caledonia Pipe Band in 1991 when his tutor was the late Freddie Russell, and had his first notable success as a solo piper in 1996 when he won the All-Ireland junior title. In 1993 he transferred his band work to Ravara Pipe - and won the Ulster intermediate solo grade in 1997. In 1998 he joined the Field Marshal Montgomery Band and was third in the Ulster intermediate, winning this grade the following year, and was second in the All-Ireland intermediate grade.
In 2000 he won both the Ulster and All-Ireland intermediate - and was promoted to senior solo piping ranks as a result in 2001.
His educational progress then took him to Scotland, and while remaining a member of the FMM band his solo activities progressed to such an extent that he graduated to playing for the silver medal which he won in 2004, and which qualified him to play for the gold medal in A Grade competitions.
Now his aim will be to play for the gold clasp, which is only awarded to gold medal winners, and the Silver Star, plus other 'super league' competitions.
Alastair is now in uncharted company as far as solo piping is concerned, and his further success will be watched with more than just a passing interest.
The only other piper from Northern Ireland to reach the A grade in solo work is Robert Watt from Maghera.
A silver medal winner, Robert has won some very prestigious awards since, his latest being the best overall solo piper at the Lorient Festival in France.
But, so far, the gold medal has eluded him.
Alastair now lives in Glasgow and is employed by the St Kilda company of St George's Place, Glasgow, which manufactures, wholesales and retails everything needed in highland wear and instruments.
Recently this firm and the Field Marshal Montgomery band agreed on a three-year sponsorship from which the band will benefit by £50,000.
A couple of other Field Marshal Montgomery players also figured in the awards at the Northern Meeting last week.
Andrew Carlisle, Ballygowan, was a very creditable fourth in the Silver Medal competition and Ryan Canning, from Londonderry, but now living in Glasgow, was third in the B Grade march contest.
In the B Grade strathspey and reel class, Andrew Hall, formerly of the Monkstown Mossley band, Newtownabbey, also gained a third place.
To complete the Irish success story, Margaret Houlihan, from Cullen in the Republic, who played not only in the Cullen band but also later in the House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia, Scotland, and in her student days was also in the prizes at the Northern Meeting was fourth in the A Grade strathspey and reel.
A fitting finale to the foregoing success story is that Alastair Dunn and Margaret Houlihan are engaged to be married at the end of this month.
Now there is an occasion for which it would be appropriate to play The Highland Wedding, considered by many to be one of the best pipe band marches ever composed."
It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
Northern Ireland's Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band became the 2006 World Pipe Band Champions at Glasgow Green yesterday.
Grade 1
1st Field Marshal Montgomery (Ulster)
Also Robert Watt just won the World Championship Solo Piping Competition at the Lorient Inter-Celtic Festival.
As reported in the ‘Mid-Ulster Mail’:
“A SOUTH Derry man has won the World Championship Solo Piping Competition for the fourth time.
Robert Watt piped his way to success at the Lorient Inter-Celtic Festival, which was staged in Brittany last week.
The 28-year-old competed against 13 other world-class pipers to lift the MacCrimmon Trophy. His last victory in this competition was four vears ago in 2002.
Countries represented at the event were New Zealand, Australia, Canada, USA, Scotland, France, and Ireland, the latter boasting three competitors including Robert.”
Robert said:
"In the past few years, this competition has become recognised as the top prize in solo piping in the world," he says.
"Certainly, it's the best win I've ever had, in respect to the other competitors."
He explains that each country holds qualify events for the World Championship competition, with only the very best being selected to represent their respective lands.
"In other words, the best solo pipers in the world are there,"
Robert Watt - < http://www.robertwatt.co.uk/ >
Looks like Scotland has the 'National Piping Centre' ........... but Ulster has 'THE PIPERS'!
# Posted on August 13th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
Didn't the Simon Fraser band from Victoria BC win that 10 years in a row or something?
# Posted on August 13th 2006 by Kevin Rietmann
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
No.
# Posted on August 13th 2006 by Kenny
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
Not quite Kevin:
“In August 1995 at Glasgow, Scotland, the band captured the ultimate prize on the globe, the Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championship.
A year later, the band returned to Scotland and captured the title again becoming the first pipe band from outside the United Kingdom to win the World Championship more than once.
In 1999, the band regained the World Championship title, winning the World Drum Corps Championship in the process, and most recently, the SFU Pipe Band was the World Champion in 2001!
In 2001 SFU also won the Australian Pipe Band Championship.”
http://www.sfupipeband.com/html/history.html
# Posted on August 13th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
Ulster's Uilleann Piper John McSherry, of 'At First Light' fame, isn't half bad either:
http://www.atfirstlight.net/SeanMaguires.mp3
http://www.johnmcsherry.com/
# Posted on August 13th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
Always enjoy listening to the F.M.M. very good pipe band.
# Posted on August 13th 2006 by banjo billy
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
Ah, but you're partisan, Ptarmigan !
# Posted on August 14th 2006 by Guernsey Pete
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
"Shall I strike at it with my partisan?"
Marcellus
Hamlet, Act I, scene I
Partisan:
A weapon having a blade with lateral projections mounted on the end of a long shaft, used chiefly in the 16th and 17th centuries.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Partisan
&
Check out this photo of a Partisan – a nasty looking piece of kit!
http://www.preferredarms.com/Pole%20Arms.htm
But seriously Pete – sure I’m just reporting the facts
# Posted on August 14th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
St laurence o tooles arn't halb bad aswel... Cum on de tooles!!!
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by scull-piper
See 500 Photos from the World Championships
See 500 Photos from the World Championships:
http://www.inglasgow.com/inglaig/gallery.asp?categoryid=585
# Posted on August 23rd 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
Hey, specially for you scull-piper:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJjd2cMoL5o
# Posted on August 26th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: It's official - Ulster has the best Pipers in the World!
Aye, an' they won the 'Champion of Champions 2006' at the Cowal Highland Gathering too!
"Champion of Champions 2006
Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band"
"COWAL HIGHLAND GATHERING CHAMPIONS CROWNED
The 2006 Cowal Highland Gathering was declared a great success with over 23,000 people visiting Dunoon stadium to take in the cream of Highland dancing and piping talent from all over the world.
The Cowal Highland Gathering lived up to its reputation as the world’s largest and most spectacular Highland Gathering with over 580 dancers, 111 solo pipers, 142 pipe bands and 12 heavy male athletes (including two Germans and two Czech athletes) and 4 female heavy athletes competing in this year’s event.
Highlights of the event, which ran between Thursday 24th – Saturday 26th August included the World Highland Dancing Championships, Cowal Pipe Band Championships, Solo Piping and Heavy Athletics.
# Posted on September 1st 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: An Ulster Piper wins the most coveted medal!
Solo piper wins gold medal at Aviemore
Tartan Talk by WALTER PORTER
News Letter, Saturday, September 9, 2006
"PROBABLY the most coveted medal to be won by a solo piper worldwide is the gold medal at the Northern Meeting held in Scotland annually and it was won by an Irish piper for the first time when Alastair Dunn competed - only his second time.
Held at Aviemore Conference Centre, also for the second time due to renovations at the Inverness 'home' of this competition, Alastair, from Newtownards, has added another dimension of success to the solo piping scene in Northern Ireland, and which was awarded for piobaireachd playing - the classical music of the highland bagpipes.
Twenty-six last Tuesday, Alastair's latest success has been the birthday present he would have wished, and the heartiest of congratulations on his achievement.
Alastair started his piping career as a young boy with the Northern Caledonia Pipe Band in 1991 when his tutor was the late Freddie Russell, and had his first notable success as a solo piper in 1996 when he won the All-Ireland junior title. In 1993 he transferred his band work to Ravara Pipe - and won the Ulster intermediate solo grade in 1997. In 1998 he joined the Field Marshal Montgomery Band and was third in the Ulster intermediate, winning this grade the following year, and was second in the All-Ireland intermediate grade.
In 2000 he won both the Ulster and All-Ireland intermediate - and was promoted to senior solo piping ranks as a result in 2001.
His educational progress then took him to Scotland, and while remaining a member of the FMM band his solo activities progressed to such an extent that he graduated to playing for the silver medal which he won in 2004, and which qualified him to play for the gold medal in A Grade competitions.
Now his aim will be to play for the gold clasp, which is only awarded to gold medal winners, and the Silver Star, plus other 'super league' competitions.
Alastair is now in uncharted company as far as solo piping is concerned, and his further success will be watched with more than just a passing interest.
The only other piper from Northern Ireland to reach the A grade in solo work is Robert Watt from Maghera.
A silver medal winner, Robert has won some very prestigious awards since, his latest being the best overall solo piper at the Lorient Festival in France.
But, so far, the gold medal has eluded him.
Alastair now lives in Glasgow and is employed by the St Kilda company of St George's Place, Glasgow, which manufactures, wholesales and retails everything needed in highland wear and instruments.
Recently this firm and the Field Marshal Montgomery band agreed on a three-year sponsorship from which the band will benefit by £50,000.
A couple of other Field Marshal Montgomery players also figured in the awards at the Northern Meeting last week.
Andrew Carlisle, Ballygowan, was a very creditable fourth in the Silver Medal competition and Ryan Canning, from Londonderry, but now living in Glasgow, was third in the B Grade march contest.
In the B Grade strathspey and reel class, Andrew Hall, formerly of the Monkstown Mossley band, Newtownabbey, also gained a third place.
To complete the Irish success story, Margaret Houlihan, from Cullen in the Republic, who played not only in the Cullen band but also later in the House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia, Scotland, and in her student days was also in the prizes at the Northern Meeting was fourth in the A Grade strathspey and reel.
A fitting finale to the foregoing success story is that Alastair Dunn and Margaret Houlihan are engaged to be married at the end of this month.
Now there is an occasion for which it would be appropriate to play The Highland Wedding, considered by many to be one of the best pipe band marches ever composed."
# Posted on September 15th 2006 by Ptarmigan