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Next solo competition set for Monkstown school 

Pipe Bands by Mervyn McConnell

THE next competition in the piping calendar will be a solo piping and drumming event organised by the new Competing Soloists Organisation.

It will be held in Monkstown Community School on Friday 25th March for drum pad and practise chanter and juvenile events and will commence at 1 pm. The reminder of the sections will be held on Saturday 26th March commencing at 9.30am.

There will also be an Inaugural Solo Piping and Solo drumming Recital held in Monkstown Community School on Friday 25th March at 5.30pm. For full details of all these events please contact Sammy Lawson (Secretary), 8 Annaghnoon Road, Waringstown, Craigavon BT66 7RZ. Tel. 3882 0374.

It was agreed recently that Dromara and Woodgrange Pipe bands would amalgamate together and compete as a Grade 3A band.

At present the band, which will be known as Woodgrange, has 13 pipers and five drummers. They will be under the leadership, of Pipe Major Ricky Newell, who has much expertise in this role.

The band practise in Dromara Orange hall and anyone interested in joining them can contact Ricky on 92 638442.

Gransha Pipe band have appointed a new Pipe Major. Robert Greer will take over this role from Worthing Anderson who will still continue playing in the band. Sammy Smyth will continue as Leading Drummer and the band will compete in Grade 4A

It was a great success for the Seven Towers solo competition held recently, and all credit must go to the Co. Antrim section for their forward thinking in staging this event.

The competition was the first solo event of 2005 and was held in Ballee High School, Ballymena with 105 entries. The trophies were presented by Thomas Nicholl, President of the Co. Antrim section and the competition secretary, Patricia Pedlow, was delighted with not only the support of all solo pipers and drummers, but those who came along to encourage them. This is a competition that looks set to become a firm favourite for years to come.

The senior piper trophy went to Andrew Carlisle of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe band with the senior drumming championships won by Philip Bell of the same band.

Cullybackey Pipe Band will hold their 18th Annual Solos in Cullybackey High School on Saturday 2nd April. There will be sections for practise chanter, juvenile piping junior, intermediate and senior piping, as well as drum pad, juvenile, junior intermediate and senior drumming.

The competition kicks off at 10.30am and entries close on Saturday 26th March. Entry forms can be obtained from Mr. J.Gribben, 52 Elmwood, Cullybackey, Ballymena, BT43 5PY telephone 25 881901.

It is with regret that we record the recent death of Nora Bickerstaffe who passed away on Tuesday 8th March after a long illness. Her husband Sammy is a piper with Ballydonaghy Caledonia Pipe band and a firm supporter of the pipe band association.

The sympathy of all the members of the Northern Ireland Branch is extended to him and all the family on their great loss.

The death of David Scotland, originally from Campsie Scotland and later of Sydney, Australia, occurred on 19th February.

Winston Pollock recalls a man dedicated so much to pipe band music that he was awarded the BEM in 1976 for services to pipe bands.

He was instrumental in inviting Monkstown Mossley Pipe band to visit Australia to participate in the Australian Pipe Band Championships of 1988, where they won five competitions.

David and his wife Moyna were frequent visitors to Northern Ireland and Moyna had distant family connections here.

Both had a sincere interest in the pipe band scene here in Ulster. David's contribution to the pipe band activities in New South Wales was immense and likewise in Australia as a whole. He was an Eddie McVeigh type of person to the band world, and will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Results of Seven Towers Solo Piping and Drumming.

Ulster Star
18/03/2005