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The final preparations are now in place for annual Pipe Band and Drum Majors Championships.This is a special year for the County Antrim Section which are hosting their 40th Championships and will be held in Woodburn Playing Fields, Woodburn Road, Carrickfergus under the kind auspices of Carrickfergus Borough Council.
There will be a shuttle bus running to the town centre for all you keen shoppers,unfortuately the Council are not allowing any overnight parking this year for Camper Vans in the playing fields.
The competition will start at 11.30 with Grade 4B taking to the line 1st , followed shortly by 4A at 12.00 noon.Drum Majors dress is due to start at 11am.Draw is now avaiable on the website.
So come along and support our section in this years contest and enjoy once again some of the best bands in the country...
Full Draw is available here. See you there.
The County Fermanagh Section, while hugely disappointed at having to cancel yesterdays Grade 1. due to the incessant rain, wish to express our heartfelt appreciation for the many messages of support we have received. There was no doubt that yesterday Fermanagh was in the Lakes rather than the Lakes being in Fermanagh! While the Section does try its best to control as many aspects of the contest as possible, unfortunetly the weather is beyond even our best efforts.
We look forward to a huge improvement in the weather for the rest of the season and want to wish every success to the bands who are travelling next Saturday to Bathgate .
We will see you all next year.
Results Co Fermanagh
The rain came and came again, the result was the grade one championships, much anticipated here in Enniskillen, was cancelled. It was regretful for the local Section, who put so much into the event for it to end like it did but, knowing the resolve of the Fermanagh Section, they will bounce back again.
All thanks to all our own volunteers for a good job.
Results are attached
The County Fermanagh Contest is in Enniskillen at the usual venue, in the grounds of the Lakeland Forum, beside Enniskillen Castle this Saturday, its very close to the town centre. Drivers should follow direction signs to Sligo, Belleek etc on entering Enniskillen from Belfast and the Lakeland Forum is a left turn at Bus Station just past Erneside Shoppping Centre. There is parking in the grounds and also in the free public car park in front of the Royal British Legion. There is also further free car parking in the car park beside Castle which is very close to the contest arena. Fermanagh Council do NOT allow Motor Homes in the Lakeland Forum grounds overnight, our experience is that they do however always manage to find somewhere to park close to the arena.
We are assurred that the weather in Enniskillen while not expected to be as glorious as last year is to be dry and fine.
First band is on the line at 12:00 Noon with Drum Major Dress commencing at 12:00. We are delighted to have an excellent entry across all grades and look forward to seeing you all at the first Gr8 event in Fermanagh this year.
On a day that gave the bands and Drum Majors and our supporters everything from strong winds, hailstones, heavy rain showers and cold temperatures the City of Lisburn Championships and Mayors parade went off very well indeed. The audience was down on what was expected, perhaps the weather played a factor in that. Having said that it was enjoyed by those who did attend and the Mayor expressed his thanks to all who had worked very hard to make the day run smoothly.
The results are attached sorry for the lateness of uploading
Mervyn Herron
Camper Van owners please be advised that parking spaces may be limited in Wallace Park for the City of Lisburn Pipe Band Championships.
The World Pipe Band Championships which are being held this year on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th August 2013 is one of the premier events in Scotland and the world pipe band calendar. Attendances in the region of 35 - 40,000 are the norm at the spacious Glasgow Green venue.
Upper Crossgare Pipe Band are presently organising their annual trip and they have spaces available. They are only staying for the Saturday event however that will still afford anyone travelling with them the opportunity of hearing all of the World’s best Grade 1 bands during the qualifying heats.
The coach party leaves Ballynahinch early on Friday 16th August and travels by luxury coach to Belfast for the Ferry to Cairnryan. Following a short comfort break stop in Ayr it’s on to Glasgow and their centrally located hotel. On Friday there will be time to take in the lunchtime Piping Live event in the nearby St Enoch Square and later in the afternoon you can go shopping, sightseeing or join the band members for a trip to Glasgow Green to check out the venue in what is a pre Worlds ritual for them and indeed many overseas bands.
Early on Saturday morning the party will make the short journey to Glasgow Green returning to the hotel around 8.30pm. On Sunday morning 18th August, after a leisurely breakfast, the party will return home via Cairnryan to be back in Ballynahinch around 6pm. If you are interested in joining this trip please contact Derek Mack on 028 97561454 to book your place.
“Powerful” “A Fantastic night packed with unbelievable talent”, “variety, with a musical production that anyone would enjoy”, these were the words from just a few of the many happy audience members after attending Saturday night’s concert produced by Cullybackey Pipe Band at the Braids Arts Centre, Ballymena.
Cullybackey PB brought the curtain down on this year’s Ballymena Arts Festival. The newly commissioned “Dalriada” suite of music was unveiled during the headline performance which saw a capacity crowd fill the Braid Arts centre to heart rendering song, dance, contemporary and traditional music, and a pipe band performance of epic proportion.
The closing night of the festival was opened by Ballymena Mayor Alderman PJ McAvoy. Mayor McAvoy paid tribute to the sterling work that goes into the performing arts describing them as a jewel in the crown for the Borough. Speaking of the work carried out By Cullybackey PB, Alderman PJ described them as ambassadors who represent the borough on the world stage and do so with measured success as they are now ranked in the world’s top ten. Mayor McAvoy introduced Cullybackey on stage before taking his seat to enjoy the entire performance.
The innovative concert piece got underway with the audience being treated to a prelude when the Dalriada slow air was uniquely performed in canntaireachd song by band member Rachel McLeister, Cullybackey PB, led by Pipe Major Robert Cupples collaborated with Colin Elder, a former member of Cullybackey PB and now musical director, in compiling the musical arrangements that made up the Dalriada suite. The innovative musical piece was framed by the spoken word and took the listener on a journey through key historical events in the history of the Kingdom of Dalriada. Robert who themed the Dalriada concept for Cullybackey pipe bands concert repertoire is over whelmed by the positive feedback from within and outside the pipe band fraternity. “The band has taken a quantum leap forward in terms of sound, playing and tune selection. This is a watershed moment for us and the Dalriada concert pieces have only complimented the relaunch of the band with the latest musical sets, style of playing and reconfiguration of the various sections within the band as we prepare for the next instalment of our journey” states a pleased Pipe Major Cupples.
The concert has set a benchmark for these styles of concerts. Being performed almost entirely from within the ranks of the Grade 4A and Grade 1 bands and using current membership to provide the various musical performances which included. Solo Piping from Graham Sterling, Current Ulster intermediate champion, Solo Drumming from William Glenholmes, Senior Ulster drumming champion, Soloist Rachel McLeister who performed the folk classic “The Dark Isle” and performed Dalriada canntaireachd song, Scott Galloway, who entertained by accompanying a pipe jig on drum kit providing a contemporary sound to which the Shelley Anne Campbell school of dancing performed. Cullybackey PB performed their new medleys for the upcoming season with rapturous applause before Adrian Hoy’s world renowned drum corp entertained the audience with an outstanding drumming fanfare displayed with an ultra violet light show providing an awesome visual.Grade4A under the direction of Pipe Major Warren Robinson were also on display with many of the junior players making their debuts with the band. Grade 4A played their competition sets finishing with on a high note with loud recognition from the listening audience. Also performing was guest Piper and solo player Ashley McMichael of Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe band.
Cullybackey PB brought the curtain down on the Ballymena Arts festival providing a fitting tribute to the wealth of talent that has been developed and produced from within the Cullybackey PB School of excellence.The much anticipated and long awaited Dalriada concert has now been endorsed by the listener and will now be extended and developed into a standalone musical programme. Cullybackey players focus will now be directed to the competition arena planning for a successful 2013 season.
