Another world champion pipe band for Argyll – and we hope the visitors on the last couple of Sunday trains from Edinburgh to Oban know the calibre of the pipers welcoming them at Oban station (pictured in action below on 25th July 2010).
Argyll bands Novice Grade results
The Oban High School Band, under Pipe Major Angus MacColl, took the 2010 World Championship at Novice Grade at the World Pipe Band championships at Glasgow Green on Saturday (14th August) – in a class of 21 competing bands.
Their specific rankings of 2, 1, 2, 2 – in each of the two piping, the drumming and the ensemble categories, showed the extent of their improvement from their performance at the European Championships, which, only a few weeks ago was 3, 1 ,5 ,5.
Their world champion performance showed the consistency across the four challenges that every top band must find.
Argyll did particularly well in the Novice Grade – with five competing bands marking a strong future – and with the Inveraray and District Band (below), under Pipe Major Robert Stewart, coming a close second to Oban, with category rankings respectively of 1, 2, 4, 1.
Here too there was improvement- except in their drumming, after the recent European Championships where they were awarded 2, 3, 2, 3.
Kintyre Schools came eighth in this grade, performing above their final ranking with 7th place in Piping 1, 6th in Ensemble, with an on-rank eighth in Piping 2 but a bit of a dash for the floor in their drumming at 13th.
Dunoon Grammar School were placed 11th with category placings above their final rankingin three of the four categoories – Piping 1 (9th), Drumming 6th and Ensemble (8th) – and a disaster befalling them in Piping 2 with 13th.
Rothesay and District, were placed 14th overall out of the 21 bands in the grade, playing above their final ranking in two categories with an 11th place in Piping 2 and Drumming, an on-rank 14th in Piping 1 and a bit of a dip in Ensemble performance at 16th.
Argyll bands Grade 3B results
Rothesay and District were placed 10th in the field of 12 at this grade, with category rankings of 10, 8, 3, 12 – a great performance in drumming.
The Cowal band unfortunately didn’t make it through the Qualifying competition at this grade.
Argyll band Grade 3A results
In a class of 22 competing bands, the Isle of Islay-was ranked 6th at this grade, with placings at 4th & 2nd in Piping 1 and 2 respectively; a 14th in Drumming and a 16th in Ensemble performance.
Their piping had improved massively from their recent performance in the European Championship where they scored, 12, 15, 16, 16 – showing also a couple of places better in Drumming.
Argyll band Grade 1 result
Inveraray and District were ranked 9th out of 14 competing bands in this, their first year playing at the highest level.
For a young band with a massive jump last year where they played at Grade 2 (and with a clean sweep of the all four major championships) after being World Champions at Juvenile Grade the year before, their first year in Grade 1 was always – theoretically likely to end in immediate relegation.
We say ‘theoretically’ because Pipe Major Stuart Liddell would never countenance this sort of outcome.
Grade 1 is peopled with bands performing at the top of the top grade for a long time. Many of them carry names now legend amongst pipe bands – St Laurence O’Toole (this year’s World Champions, 3rd last year); Field Marchall Montgomery (2nd this year and last); Simon Fraser University fr0m Vancouver (4th this year, World Champions last year); Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia (3rd this year, 6th in 2009).
In company like this, it is going to take a few years to get into contention at the top and the meticulous sustained development necessary to get there will stand the band and its members in very good stead. As they say, success is 95% perspiration and 5% inspiration – or variations on this theme.
During this year the band has grown in numbers, to meet the demand of competing at the top level. The work of accommodating new members is neither easy nor quick. It takes time to bed in as an ensemble. The photographs accompanying this article and showing the Grade 1 band in performance at the World Championships this weekend past, demonstrate some performance variations not seen in the band playing last year at Grade 2. Of course there is work to be done.
2010 has been a markedly characterful performance and testifies to the calibre of this young band that has not only crossed the threshold into Grade 1 but is manifestly at home there, comfortable around the middle of the field and never remotely close to being a relegation candidate.
This has been an assured performance, leaving the Inverary & District Grade 1 band with a very solid foundation for development.
The band’s placings in the four competition categories at the 2010 Worlds were 9, 5, 10, 11, giving it an 8th ranking on placings only and with a stunning performance in piping. The actual marks awarded gave them a final placing of 9th. The weakness in its varying degrees of professionalism as evidenced in the photograph above, of the band walking up to the March Past.
The front three from the right, Stuart Liddell, Laura McMillan and Finlay Johnston, are confident and easy in their stride, smiling, looking the world in the face and with no need to keep an eye on their colleagues – whom they must assume to be performing as well as themselves. This is exemplary performance and team work – in and out of competition and from the start to the finish of the day.
However further along the line, the inevitable tiredness of the long day goes unmasked. Faces are lifeless, heads are bowed, the strong body line is lost, feet and colleagues are both under scrutiny.
This is one area where Stuart Liddell, rightly insisting on discipline and precision, will focus his attention before the last major of the year at the end of this month – the Cowal Gathering. It will also be at the forefront of preparation for next year.
Band members will find strong professional focus a benchmark for the rest of their lives. It has always been the mark of the work of the Inveraray and District Pipe Band. It is the concentration on building and refining what they do that will, in the not too distant future, take them to a well earned pinnacle at this highest level of all in pipe band competition.
This has been a very good year and there is more to come.
Really pleased to learn of the success of the Oban High School band in Glasgow. It s good to see the over all standard of the young bands from Argyll is still on a rising curve. This augurs well for the future of piping and drumming in our area. This is due to a lot of hard practice on the part of the band members and a huge amount of dedicated work on the part of experienced and distinguished teachers like Angus MacColl and Stewart Liddell who devote so much time and effort into passing on their expertise.I know that a great deal of effort goes on locally here in Oban to support and sustain the efforts of the OHS band and that will be replicated elsewhere for the local ensembles.
It is very gratifying to see that effort gaining reward and I take immense satisfaction in seeing a successful well turned out band sporting the MacColl tartan!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0