Inveraray readies for full-length March 2012 Aberdeen concert

After a successful venture into the pipe band concert promotion business with the 2010 show by Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia, the Bucksburn & District Pipe Band has decided to promote another production, this time with the Grade 1 Inveraray & District taking the stage at the Aberdeen Music Hall in March 2012.

While the band has performed shorter spots at such venues as Celtic Connections, to date, Inveraray has not staged a full-length concert of the kind that the Bucksburn event demands.

As with the choice of Boghall in 2010, Bucksburn identifies with Inveraray & District’s youth training program, which allowed the band to rocket from Juvenile to a prize-winner in Grade 1 major championships in only five years. Bucksburn & District has also deployed a teaching program and policy for many years, maintaining the band’s status in Grade 1 or Grade 2 for decades.

“Inveraray are an up-0and-coming Grade 1 band with the youth element side of things, as was Boghall,” said Gus McAskill, President of the Bucksburn organization. “We wanted to keep the ‘youth’ side of things going this time as we are still trying to promote youth through music, and we think Inveraray will do very well this season and may sneak a very good prize at one of this year’s majors.”

With the event almost a full year away, few details were available about the concert. Inveraray & District is led by Pipe-Major Stuart Liddell and Leading-Drummer Steven McWhirter. Both are world-renowned solo competitors and artists, Liddell having won numerous top awards, including the Glenfiddich Championship; McWhirter previously gaining the World Solo Drumming Championship.

McAskill added that Boghall & Bathgate’s “Fired Up” concert “not only inspired Bucksburn Pipe Band to continue with this venture, it also brought a community spirit within Northeast pipe bands, a feeling and venture that must continue and will keep the interest and excitement going.”

Inveraray & District broke into the Grade 1 prize list at an RSPBA  major for the first time with the fifth at the Cowal Championships in 2010, its first year in the top grade.