Police Scotland & Federation launch formal search for L-D

Last week, the Grade 1 Police Scotland & Federation Pipe Band of Glasgow and the pipe band world at large were surprised by the sudden departure of Lead-Drummer David Henderson and several members of the drum section for the Grade 1 Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia.

The move has left the police band, which has one of the world’s most storied histories dating back to 1883 as the Govan Police, Glasgow Police and Strathclyde Police, winning 20 World Championships over almost 150 years.

Following a band meeting on February 11th, the band has launched a formal search for its next lead-drummer, citing “unforeseen circumstances.”

The band has made February 28th the deadline for applications, giving interested parties 16 days to express their desire to step into the prestigious role that has been filled by several legends of pipe band drumming, including Alex McCormick, Jack Seton, Alex Connell, John Kirkwood, and Eric Ward.

In a statement, Pipe-Major Ewan Henderson said “The pipe corps are in a very healthy position and the band has excellent support from its partners, Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Federation,” making it an increasingly rare example of a pipe band with a solid sponsorship.

After a few seasons of building, Police Scotland & Federation was on the rise in 2024, with solid showings, particularly at the World Championships, where they were eighth overall in both MSR events and created a buzz about the creativity and musicality of their medleys.

Interested potential leading-drummers should contact Ewan Henderson by email or phone (07720445821).

David Henderson’s move to Shotts & Dykehead coincided with the departure of Grant Cassidy, who had held the role for two seasons. The band has not provided a reason for Cassidy’s departure, and Cassidy has not said whether he plans to play with another band. He is also the Senior Drumming Tutor for the National Piping Centre’s National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland. Before Shotts, he had been lead-drummer of the Grade 2 Uddingston since 2018.

Pipe bands have historically suffered from sudden departures of lead-drummers, with many or most of their sections leaving with them. Typically, such departures occur close after the competition season, allowing more time for both bands to regroup and recruit if needed.

Many bands have had to go on hiatus or fold altogether over the years after being unsuccessful in recruiting suitable replacements. The Grade 1 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) of Nova Scotia is the most recent example at the top level.

There are currently 19 competitively active Grade 1 bands worldwide.