2016 13
SFRS Announce New Additions
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Services Pipe Band have now returned to full practice in preparation for the 2017 season after a short break. Not only has the band added a fantastic Leading Drummer to the line up but also we have made additions to the Pipe Corps as well as the Drum Corps.
The SFRS Pipe Band are delighted to announce that we have secured the piping talent of:
Sydney Moore
William McLaughlan
Stuart Cullen
Nicole Linsay
Evan Finnegan
Andrew Foster
All of the Officers and band members of The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service wish all our new players every success for 2017 and beyond
The band anticipate adding more talent to the line up and this will be announced in due course.
SFRS Announce New Leading Drummer
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Services Pipe Band are delighted to announce the appointment of Craig Ferguson as the new Leading Drummer of the SFRS Pipe Band. Craig brings with him a wealth of drumming knowledge and an impressive playing CV.
Craig started his playing career with the 42nd Highlanders in Staffordshire at the age of 9 where he progressed to the role of Drum Sergeant and played in the band for 23 years until 2003 when he moved to Scotland. Craig has played with a variety of bands throughout his career with Coalburn IOR, City of Glasgow, Linlithgow, Lanark and District being some of the bands Craig has played in. It was with Lanark and District where Craig established himself as a first class Drum Sergeant.
Craig then moved into the Grade 1 arena with Dysart and Dundonald Pipe Band before taking over the reigns at Dumbarton and District Grade 2 Pipe Band where Craig proved a more than capable Drum Sergeant by placing twice in the top six at Major championships. Craig latterly played for Torphicen and Bathgate Pipe Band before deciding to take up the challenge of leading the SFRS Drum Corps in the 2017 season and beyond.
All of the Officers and band members of The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service wish Craig every success.
Piper Scott MacRae
The band would like to extend their congratulations our band member, piper Scott MacRae for his success at the recent Captain John A. MacLellan MBE Memorial Piping Championship at Inchdrewer House, Redford Barracks on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
Scott won the C-Grade Piobaireachd contest and placed 5th in the MSR contest.
XVI Festival De Bandes DE Gaites Villa De Xixion
Members of the band have just returned from a fabulous week in Gijon, Asturias, Spain where they performed at numerous events during a local music festival.
Whilst in Gijon, the band were shown round the facilities of the local Fire Service, where Pipe Major Alistair McLaughlan played a lament to fallen Fire Fighters at their memorial before gifts were exchanged.
The band would like to express our thanks and appreciation to the Gijon Fire Service and our festival hosts banda de gaitas villa de xixion.
A few photos of our trip are included below.
World Pipe Band Championships
Earlier this week the draw for the World Pipe Band Championships was made.
The Grade 2 Band was drawn to play 6th of 13 bands in the Grade 2 Qualification heat 1 at 12:30. There are 2 qualification heats of 13 and 12 bands, with the top 6 bands from each heat contesting the Final, which starts at 16:00. The band will play a MSR in the qualifier, and (all going well) will be hoping to play the Medley in the Final.
The Novice Juvenile Band was drawn to play 17th of 20 bands in the Novice Juvenile B Grade Final at 10:52. There is no qualification contest for the Novice Juvenile B Grade. We wish the members of our young band the best of luck for their first ever World Championships.
The World Pipe Band Championships take place on the 12th and 13th of August at Glasgow Green, with the Grade 1 Qualifiers being the only event taking place on the 12th. A total of 234 bands will be competing over the weekend. For more information and for tickets for the event please visit http://www.theworlds.co.uk As always, both bands do appreciate everyone who comes along to support us at what is definitely the highlight of our annual calendar.
The full draw for the World Pipe Band Championships can be seen at http://www.rspba.org/html/contestdraw.php?id=38
Scottish Pipe Band Championships
Yesterday the draw was made for the Scottish Pipe Band Championships.
The Championships will be held in Levengrove Park, Dumbarton on Saturday 30th July. And being a local contest, the band always appreciates the large support that they receive.
The band has been drawn to play 11th (of 20) in the Grade 2 contest at 16:00. The band will be playing their Medley Selection in the contest. Our Novice Band has been drawn to play 1st (of 11) in the Novice B Grade at 10:00.
The full draw can be seen at http://www.rspba.org/html/contestdraw.php?id=3
Dunbar Results
The band today competed at the Dunbar Highland Games. It was the band’s first outing of the season and we achieved a credible 2nd place in Grade 2 and 1st place in Grade 1. The band’s focus now turns to the British Pipe Championships in Paisley next Saturday.
United Kingdom Championships – Belfast – June 11th
The second Major Championship of the 2016 Pipe Band season sees the band head over the water to the United Kingdom Championships, taking place at Stormont in Belfast on Saturday 11th of May.
The band is one of 15 bands entered in the Grade 2 competition and the band has been drawn to play 12th at 15:39. The band will be playing their Selection for the first time at a major this season.
The full draw can be viewed at http://www.rspba.org/html/contestdraw.php?id=46
