Drumming event added to Strathclyde University pre-World’s piping contest

A solo drumming competition has been added to the highly successful Lord Todd Bar Recital-Challenge Invitational Solo Piping Competition held at Strathclyde University during the week before the World Pipe Band Championships.

The Band Room Masters Solo Drumming Recital-Contest is being sponsored by The Band Room, the Glasgow-based piping and drumming supplies dealership and manufacturer. The drumming contest will be held on Tuesday, August 9, and the piping event on Thursday, August 13.

But Piper & Drummer Online has learned that Jim Kilpatrick of the House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead and Gordon Brown of Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia will not take part in the drumming contest. Both Brown and Kilpatrick have won the World Solo Drumming Championship – Kilpatrick a record fifteen times and the current holder of the title.

“The Shotts band have always practiced every night leading up to the World Championships,” Kilpatrick says. “The competition is on the Tuesday night and, as everybody knows, this has always been our scheduled practice night. The band also tries to support the pre-World’s concert on the Wednesday night at the Royal Concert Hall but as a drum corps, I always make the five nights available for practice.”

Brown also cited his commitment to his band as his reason for not attending.

The Lord Todd Solo Piping Recital-Contest is not being run by The Band Room, and is managed by Willie McCallum, the world-famous solo piper who also works with Strathclyde University. Last year’s event was a packed house, and showcased the talents of Bruce Gandy, Jack Lee, Stuart Liddell and Angus MacColl and was recorded live for Uist Media Productions’ MasterPipers CD.

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