Boghall launches new logo; Pre-World’s Concert a highlight in 40th anniversary year

One of the world’s most storied pipe bands, Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia, is marking its fortieth anniversary year in 2012 with the introduction of a new brand identity, and revealed that it’s August Pre-World’s Concert at the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall will be named “Forte,” all underscoring the strength that the organization has consistently maintained since 1972.

Tickets for the concert – considered by most to be the premier non-competition pipe band event of the year – will go on sale on Monday, December 19, 2011, via the venue’s online and in-person box office.

Latin for “strong,” “Forte,” according to Boghall Pipe-Major Ross Walker, “is in reference to . . . the continued strength our organization. Our aim for the concert in August is primarily to present a great evening’s entertainment for the audience. Rather than focusing on ourselves and what we want to perform, we’re trying to build the event around the people sitting in the auditorium and provide a really enjoyable couple of hours of music.  Naturally we’ll be looking to impress with the quality of our instruments and technique, but primarily we want to entertain and have some fun.  We plan to record the event, though whether this will be audio or DVD we’ve really still to decide.”

Since its promotion to the top grade in 1980, the Bathgate, Scotland-based band has maintained a strong position in Grade 1, annually hitting a large percentage of the prize-lists at RSPBA major championships. The band has won numerous major titles and has finished second at the World Championships several times.

The Forte Concert will be the second time that Boghall has taken on the prestigious concert, organized each year since the late 1980s by the Glasgow Skye Pipe Band. Boghall last performed at the event in 2004.

With the introduction of the new logo, Boghall & Bathgate says farewell to its familiar antlers identity, often referred to as “Bullwinkle” by members of the band and others in the pipe band community.

“Given that this will be our fortieth year, we also undertook an exercise over the past six-to-eight months to create a new image and brand for the organisation,” Walker said. “We wanted to create a fresh, modern look perhaps more representative of today’s younger band. While the traditional stag’s head image . . . has been our emblem over the years, it wasn’t unique and wasn’t something that could be identifiable as ‘Boghall’ from 20 yards. We’ll be rolling this out in the weeks and months to come with a website refresh and new merchandise, but the publicity material for the concert is its first outing.”

Walker added that several pipers and drummers from its teaching program are making the leap from the youth level to the Grade 1 band. Boghall’s teaching program, which it started along with the inception of the band in the 1970s, is often cited as a model program for developing new players and sustaining a high standard over many years.

“Our youth program is something that has been our ‘forte’ over the years, if you will,” Walker said. “This will be an opportunity for our latest group to experience performing at the headline pipe band concert of the year.”