Barr signs on with City of Chicago
The Grade 2 City of Chicago Pipe Band has a new Lead-Drummer, with Chris Barr taking the corps, replacing Martin Boyle, who held the role since 2006. Barr comes to the band after several years as a snare drummer with the Grade 1 78th Fraser Highlanders of Toronto. Boyle has left the band.
Barr has also played with the Toronto Police, Windsor Police and North Coast, of which he was Lead-Drummer after the band’s successful run in Grade 2 before dissolving in 2005.
City of Chicago also reports the addition of Dan Griffin, Mike Johnson and Owen Sehon to its drum section. With the evident demise of the Midlothian Scottish Pipe Band following the resignation of Pipe-Major Adrian Melvin and the retirement of Lead-Drummer Jim Sim, City of Chicago is the only active Grade 2 band in the Midwest United States.
Led by Pipe-Major Patrick Lynch, the band plans to travel to compete in 2010 at the Kincardine Scottish Festival and the North American Championships at Maxville, Ontario.
Lynch says that the band currently has 24 piper, 11 snare-drummers and five tenor-drummers and a bass on the roster. The band gained three former members of Midlothian Scottish, including Midlothian’s Pipe-Sergeant, Brian Dodge.
Best of Luck Chris! Looking forward to hearing the corp!
All the very best Chris and City Of Chicago. Your a lucky bunch , Chris is a great player , competitor and an all around good guy! John Gaudet
This is a terrible move! Why would they bring in this hack? Everybody knew that the success of the North Coast drumming was his brother…. :o) kidding kidding :o) All the best with this Chris! With Love, Your brother! (the serious one in the family)
This band is really taking off! Good luck to Chris and the band. Smart move for CoC!