World Pipe Band Championships: Argyll bands results

Somehow this wasn’t quite Argyll’s day at the World Pipe Band Championship on Glasgow Green. But there will be other years and in 2013 the event is, for the first time, to go to two days. Interest from competing bands is growing so substantially.

Novice Juvenile Grade

Oban High School finished one place higher in the final of the Novice Juvenile Grade  (5th) than they had done in their qualifying heat and played two ranks above their final place in their 3rd for ensemble work – all proof of a focused performance.

Dunoon Grammar School and Rothesay and District did not get through qualifying, finishing respectively 11th and 12th in the same heat. Dunoon’s piping was well above their final placing with an 8th and a 7th from the piping judges.

Juvenile Grade

Inveraray and District, Kintyre schools and Oban High School came 5th, 6th and 7th respectively in the Juvenile Grade, with Kintyre Schools getting a 3rd from one piping judge; Inveraray and District getting 4ths from one piping judge and for their ensemble work; and Oban High School getting a 5th and a 6th from the two piping judges.

 Grade 4B

Mid Argyll finished 7th in their qualifying heat at this grade, but got two 4ths from the piping judges – compensation for not making it into the final.

Grade 3B

Cowal finished 8th in the final at this grade, playing above that rank in three areas, with a 5th and a 7th from the piping judges and a 4th for their drum corps. Their ragged ensemble work in the final -  with an 11th place, obviously knocked their final rank. Ironically, this was their strongest result in qualifying, where they finished 3rd in their heat, with a 2nd place for ensemble – and a 3rd for their drum corps.

Grade 3A

Isle of Islay finished 9th at Grade 3A, with 4ths from one piping judge and for their ensemble performance.

Rothesay and District finished 17th 0verall, with a 13th from one piping judge and a 15th for ensemble work – which promoted them in the ranks above City of Brechin who had the same number of points.

In a field of 24, The Machrihanish Dunes Sound of Kintyre finished 23rd overall, with a 20th place from one piping judge.

Grade 2

Lomond and Clyde stormed their qualifying heat with three 1sts and a 2nd from one  of the two piping judges. They then finished 7th overall, with a 3rd for their drum corps.

Grade 1

Bands playing in the premier league compete twice – once in the MSR (March, Strathspey and Reel) contest; and once in the Medley.

Inveraray and District, the only Argyll band at this level, came 6th in the March, Strathspey and Reel, with a 2nd for their drum corps,

They came 4th in the Medley, with 3rds from one piping judge and for their drum corps.

On overall points, they finished in equal 5th place along with St Laurence O’Toole and Strathclyde Police.

The overall winner of Grade 1 – yet again – was the unstoppably majestic Field Marshal Montgomery band from Northern Ireland, with Scottish Power in second place and Simon Fraser University from Vancouver in third and Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia in fourth.