American Championships return to Norfolk April 30th

The Virginia International Tattoo American Pipe Band Championship at Norfolk, Virginia, will come storming back on April 30th with the ambitious competition and a tattoo that started in 2016 with a four-band Grade 1 contest that reigning World Champions Inveraray & District won.

The last two years were scuttled due to the pandemic, but the return event will feature seven bands:

Grade 2
MacMillan (Maryland)
Ulster Scottish (Pennsylvania)

Grade 3
4 SCOTS, Pipes and Drums of the Highlanders, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland
Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh)
MacMillan-Birtles Memorial (Maryland)
St. Columcille United Gaelic (New Jersey)
Wake & District (North Carolina)

Each band will play in MSR and Medley events before a panel of eight judges in each grade who will determine the prizes: Grade 2: 1st US$2,000; 2nd US$1,000; 3rd US$500. Grade 3: 1st US$1,500; 2nd US$1,000; US3rd $500, as well as an open Drum Fanfare event a single US$1,000 prize.

In the event of bad weather, the contest would be held in the adjacent Scope Arena, where the Virginia International Tattoo will also be held April 28 to May 1. Among the competitors, only the 4 SCOTS will also perform in the tattoo along with several other piping and drumming related acts.

The competition will be streamed live on the Virginia International Tattoo’s Facebook page.