NORTHERN Irish former champions Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band just pipped last year’s winners Inveraray and District to the World Pipe Band Championship in Glasgow at the weekend.
Around 8,000 pipers and drummers from 214 pipe bands took part in the Championships on Glasgow Green, with the final result going the way of Field Marshal Mongomery, who are based in Lisburn, for their 12th title in all, with another Irish band, St Laurence O’Toole from Dublin, in third.
The latter band won the drumming championships, with Dollar Academy winning the juvenile pipe band world championship, which they followed with a victory parade in Dollar on Saturday night.
After presenting the awards to the various category winners and Field Marshal Montgomery’s Pipe Major Richard Parkes MBE – he equalled the record of 12 victories held by Strathclyde Police Pipe Major Ian McLellan - Glasgow's SNP Lord Provost Eva Bolander, Chieftain of the World Pipe Band Championships 2018, said: "My heartiest congratulations to everyone who competed at the World Pipe Band Championships.
"Glasgow is always delighted to welcome so many bands and their supporters and we remain proud to be the host city for The Worlds.
"It has been a wonderful occasion that is as memorable for the extraordinary musicianship as it is for the incredible sight of 8000 competitors on Glasgow Green."
Ian Embelton, chief executive of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, said: "The World Pipe Band Championships has always had the capacity to bring the very best out of the hugely talented pipers and drummers that work so hard in their bands to be the best.
"This year, we have been treated to a wonderful example of how compelling and dramatic this competition is, even though it is always contested in the best possible spirit. As always, the pursuit of perfection has been a joy to watch and to listen to."
The first ever World Pipe Band Championships were held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh in 1947.
The first time there were held in Glasgow was back in 1948, and the event has been staged in the city continuously since 1986. The date has already been set for the event’s return to Glasgow on August 16 and 17, 2019.
The World Pipe Band Championships are supported by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland's Events Directorate. As well as pipe bands, the event also hosts Highland Games, Highland Dancing and a showcase of Scottish food and drink.
The World Pipe Band Championships is part of the Partner Programme for the Year of Young People 2018, and this year up to 40 per cent of the competitors were under the age of 25.
The Year of Young People 2018 provides a platform to promote and celebrate the talents, achievements and contributions of Scotland’s incredible young people, but the Championships were a truly international event with bands from 13 nations including New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, France, Canada, Oman, Switzerland, Zimbabwe, Eire, USA, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland took part.
Over the two days, an estimated 30,000 people attended the Championships.
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Congratulations to Field Marshal Montgomery on being crowned the 2018 World Pipe Band Champions. Once again it was a fantastic competition as the world’s best pipe bands battled it out to be crowned champion. I was particularly delighted to see so many families in attendance and young people taking part as we celebrate Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018.
“Scotland is the perfect stage for events and as a long-standing supporter of the Worlds, EventScotland looks forward to welcoming spectators and performers back to Glasgow next year for another exciting year of the Championships.”
Full results from the World Pipe Band Championship are available here.
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