Spirit of Scotland goes with Premier, McCallum

The Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band – Sponsored by Glenfiddich will be performing and competing in August with a full set of Premier drums and matched McCallum pipe chanters. The high-profile band has struck arrangements with both manufacturers to supply the instruments gratis.

Premier will supply specially made snares, tenors and bass drums, working closely with the band’s mid-section leader, Craig “Hoss” Colquhoun, whose Hosbilt company has partnered with Premier to manufacture a the full line of mid-section instruments to his specifications.

Spirit of Scotland Pipe-Major Roddy MacLeod recently travelled to Kilmarnock, Scotland, with Willie McCallum, a piper with the band, to work with McCallum Bagpipes to select wooden McCallum band chanters for the band’s 24-piper section.

Last year Willie McCallum and McCallum Bagpipes launched the new MC2 Pipe Chanter, designed by Willie McCallum for the solo piping market.

“Gaining sponsorship from Glenfiddich was great news” MacLeod said, “and now we’re extending our partnerships to two of the world’s leading pipe band instrument designers and manufacturers. The Spirit of Scotland is thrilled to have such support.”

The band, which was announced in January 2008, plans to play in its entirety for the first time in 2008 during the week before the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow. The RSPBA assigned the band to Grade 1, and it will compete in the MSR Qualifying competition at the World’s on August 16th, hoping then to go through the Final competitions later in the day.