Worcester Kiltie resurrected with Methven, Lundt leading

Founded in 1916 and a multiple winner of the Grade 1 North American Pipe Band Championship, Worcester Kiltie of Massachusetts is one of the most historic pipe bands in the United States, and the group has just established new leadership, with David Methven as pipe-major and Colum Lundt as leading-drummer.

Methven, who recently immigrated to the US, is the former pipe-major of the now defunct Clan Gregor Pipe Band of Scotland, leading the band to promotion to Grade 1 in 2003. He has also led the Royal Burgh of Stirling Pipe Band, and was a member of Shotts & Dykehead for more than 10 years.

Lundt was most recently a member of the Grade 1 Peel Regional Police Pipe Band, and has been leading-drummer with various eastern US bands, including Tulach Ard and Manchester, and previously served as L-D with Worcester Kiltie.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for the band, the Worcester area, and the greater piping community here in the Northeast to have someone of Dave’s international stature leading the band,” said Neil Gow, a former pipe-major of Worcester Kiltie. “Both Dave and Colum have great reputations, musical skills and are very keen to build the Worcester Kilties into a first-class pipe band.”

“I am extremely optimistic about the future with Worcester and look forward to working with Davy to build a band that not only attains piping and drumming excellence, but does so in an enjoyable atmosphere,” Lundt added.

Worcester Kiltie is probably most famous for becoming the first US-based Grade 1 pipe band to win a significant competition in Scotland when in 1969 it won the Lesmahagow games against a field that included Shotts & Dykehead and the reigning World Champions, Glasgow Police. The band was also the first from the US to compete at the World’s, in 1964. The group gained prominence under the late Pipe-Major Jim Kerr, a legendary figure in North American pipe band history, who also won four North American Championship titles with Worcester.

The band has competed in Grade 4 for the last several years and hope to attract additional talent to progress through the grades. The Massachusetts area also support the Grade 2 Stuart Highlanders, which also recently announced a leadership change.