World Pipe Band Championships: Field Marshal Montgomery win 11th title

A single point was the final margin of victory for Field Marshal over second place Inveraray & District after a long day of competition.

Field Marshal also lifted the prize for best medley, while Inveraray & District collected the March, Strathspey and Reel award. The prizes for best drum corps in the medley, MSR and overall were won by Dublin’s St Laurence O’Toole.

Last year Field Marshal had to settle for fourth place as Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia won the title, however this time they would switch places.

Speaking after collecting the RSPBA Jubilee Trophy and banner, pipe major Richard Parkes said he was “over the moon”.

Commenting on Field Marshal’s performances throughout the day, he said: “We felt we performed as well as we could and that was all we could do – after that it was up to the judges.”

Reflecting on the standard of the grade one competition, pipe major Parkes added: “I think the margins are so small, the top bands are all so good and it is small things that make the difference. I’m over the moon with the result.”

For Richard Parkes and Field Marshal Montgomery this is their 11th grade one world title.

He continued: “It gets harder every year. The older you get the harder you have to practice.”

Completing the prize list for grade one were St Laurence O’Toole in third, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia in fourth, Scottish Power in fifth and Police Scotland Fife in sixth place.

Two Northern Ireland drum majors also claimed world titles on Saturday with Paula Braiden (Cullybackey) lifting the adult crown, while Jamie Cupples (Killeen) claimed the junior champion title.

Outside of the top grade the world titles simply eluded Northern Ireland bands. There was plenty of top six prizes to celebrate but the number one spot was always agonisingly out of reach.

The Pipes and Drums of the Police Service of Northern Ireland were denied a grand slam season when Johnstone pipped them to the grade two title on ensemble preference. The PSNI band had to settle for second place, however their drum corps lifted the grade two drumming prize.

Aughintober were runners up in grade 3a which was won by Worcester Kiltie Pipe Band from the USA.

None of the local bands featured in the grade 3b prizes where the title was won by Australia’s Perth Metro.

Ullapool & District landed the 4a world title but plenty of local names featured in the prize lists.

Cleland Memorial, from Bangor, were second followed in third by Portavogie, who also won the drumming prize. Tullylagan and Cullybackey were fifth and sixth respectively.

Johnstone took the honours in grade 4b. Again there were prize winners to report as Clontibret from Co Monaghan took second, St Mary’s Derrytrasna were third, and Gilnahirk claimed sixth place.

RESULTS

Grade 1: Field Marshal Montgomery, also best Medley; 2, Inveraray and District, also best MSR; 3, St Laurence O’Toole, also best drums MSR, Medley and overall; 4, Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia; 5, Scottish Power; 6, Police Scotland Fife.

Champion of champions band: Inveraray & District. Champion of champions drum corps: Inveraray & District.

Grade 2: 1 on ensemble preference, Johnstone; 2, Pipes and Drums of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, also best drums; 3, Lomond and Clyde; 4, Brieg – France; 5, The Glasgow Skye Association; 6, Buchan Peterson.

Champion of champions band: PSNI. Champion of champions drum corps: Glasgow Skye Association.

Grade 3a: 1, Worcester Kiltie – U.S.A, also best drums; 2, Aughintober; 3, Kintyre Schools; 4, Portlethen and District; 5, The Cameron Highlanders of San Diego – USA; 6, Vale of Atholl.

Champion of champions band: Aughintober. Champion of champions drum corps: Aughintober.

Grade 3b: 1, Perth Metro – Australia; 2, Wallacestone and District; 3, St Joseph’s; 4, Prestonpans Royal British Legion; 5, Bothwell Castle; 6, 2622 (Highland) Squadron R.A.F, also best drums.

Champion of champions band: Prestonpans RBL. Champion of champions drum corps: Bothwell Castle.

Juvenile: 1, George Watson’s College – Juvenile, also best drums.

Grade 4a: 1, Ullapool and District; 2, Cleland Memorial; 3, Portavogie, also best drums; 4, Burntisland and District; 5, Tullylagan; 6, Cullybackey.

Champion of champions band: Ullapool & District. Champion of champions drum corps: Ullapool & District.

Grade 4b: 1, Johnstone; 2, Clontibret; 3, St Marys, Derrytrasna; 4, Lochryan; 5, Davidson’s Mains and District; 6, Gilnahirk. Best drums: Kilmarnock.

Champion of champions band: Johnstone. Champion of champions drum corps: Johnstone.

Drum Majors

Adult: 1, Paula Braiden, Cullybackey; 2, Jason Paguio, Simon Fraser University, Canada; 3, Alicia Dickson Hamilton, Matt Boyd Memorial; 4, Lauren Hanna, Drumlough; 5, Liam Renton, Inveraray and District; Geertjan Van Rooij, Balagan, Denmark.

Champion of champions: Lauren Hanna, Drumlough.

Juvenile: 1, Gibb Fraser, Coalburn IOR; 2, James Kennedy, Whitewater; 3, Zoe McDowell, Aughintober; 4, Emma Barr, Field Marshal Montgomery; 5, Lauren Abraham, Ballybriest; 6, Michael Dubisz, Cameron Highlanders of San Diego – USA.

Champion of champions: Emma Barr, Field Marshal Montgomery.

Junior: 1, Jamie Cupples, Killeen; 2, Kathryn McKeown, Battlehill; 3, Lucas Adamson, Gilnahirk; 4, Kara Gilmour, Finvoy; 5, Katie Bicker, Marlacoo; 6, Kathy Hunter, Manorcunningham.

Champion of champions: Jamie Cupples, Killeen.

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