Scottish Championship Goes to Field Marshal

Dumbarton, Scotland – May 17, 2003 – The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band of Belafast , Northern Ireland, won the Scottish Pipe Band Championship here today against a field of 13 other Grade 1 bands in rainy conditions and temperatures hovering around 14 degrees.

Strathclyde Police, under second-year Pipe-Major James Wark, threw down the gauntlet by finishing second and winning the drumming.

House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead, competing under its new name and sponsorship, and wearing new uniforms, sunk to fifth place, one of its lowest showings in years.

Field Marshal and Shotts had been the topic of much conversation over the winter because of each band’s drumming moves. Field Marshal replaced leading drummer Andrew Scullion with Keith Orr, while Shotts picked up Scullion and added several players to its snare line.

The ScottishPower Pipe Band, which finished third, replaced lead drummer John Scullion with Barry Wilson, who had played for years under Jim Kilpatrick in Shotts.

Grade 2 was won by Clan Gregor, with 21 bands competing in the grade. The much-discussed 52nd Lowland Brigade did not appear in the prize list.

Grade 1 (MSR)
1st Field Marshal Montgomery (Ulster)
2nd Strathclyde Police
3rd ScottishPower
4th Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
5th House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead
6th Vale of Atholl
Drumming: Strathclyde Police
Judges: Denver Cardwell, George Summors (piping); Gordon Parkes (drumming); Alistair Aitken (ensemble)

Grade 2 (medley)
1st Clan Gregor
2nd ASCO Buchan
3rd Bleary & District
4th Upper Crossgare (Ulster)
5th Polkemmet
6th Dumfries & Galloway Constabulary
Drumming: Clan Gregor
Judges: Allan Ronaldson, Harry Stevenson (piping); John MacInnes (drumming); Trevor Dear (ensemble)

Grade 3A (21 in grade)
1st Lochgelly High school
2nd West Midlands Police
3rd Syerla
4th Lanarkshire
5th Tullintrain
6th Lomond & Clyde
Drumming: Tullintrain
Judges: George Shepherd, Andrew Wright (piping); C. Mordaunt (drumming); Jim Baxter (ensemble)

Grade 3B (10 in grade)
1st Quinn Memorial
2nd Oban
3rd Beauly Firth and the Glens
4th Arbroath R.B.L.S.
5th Troon Blackrock
6th Hollymount
Drumming: Quinn Memorial
Judges: Judges: George Shepherd, Andrew Wright (piping); C. Mordaunt (drumming); Jim Baxter (ensemble)

The 4th and 5th placings in Grade 3B were reportedly originally announced incorrectly on the field by the RSPBA. The summary sheet in fact showed that Arbroath finished 4th and Troon Blackrock 5th.

Grade Juvenile (5 in grade)
1st George Watson’s College
2nd Stewarts Melville College
3rd Dunoon Grammar School
4th Craigmount High School
Drumming: George Watson’s
Judges: Allan Ronaldson, Harry Stevenson (piping); John MacInnes (drumming); Trevor Dear (ensemble)

Grade 4A (22 in grade)
1st Seven Towers
2nd Bo’ness R.B.L.
3rd Tweedvale
4th Mountfield
5th Linlithgow & District
6th Williamwood
Drumming: Bo’ness R.B.L.
Judges: Dixie Ingram, John Wilson (piping); Wilson Young (drumming); Joe Noble (ensemble)

Grade 4B (16 in grade)
1st Stow
2nd Newmains & District
3rd Nottingham Police
4th Duns R.B.L.S.
5th Oldmeldrum R.B.L.
6th Kilsyth Thistle
Drumming: Stow
Judges: Dixie Ingram, John Wilson (piping); Wilson Young (drumming); Joe Noble (ensemble)

Novice Juvenile (18 in grade)
1st Kintrye Schools
2nd George Watson’s College
3rd Boghall & Bathgate
4th Bucksburn & District
5th Inverclyde
6th Royal Burgh of Stirling
Drumming: George Watson’s
Judges: D. McConnell, George Summors (piping); Gordon Parkes (drumming); Alistair Aitken (ensemble)

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