Belfast borrows from KC for contest-workshop hotel Gatherin’

certainly appreciate the tremendous amount of dedication and hard work of the organizers and volunteers to pull off a three day contest-workshop-concert event. Hats off to The Spring Gatherin’ and best wishes for a very successful musical and social 72 hours.”

Bands entered for The Gathering include, from Northern Ireland, Pipes & Drums of the PSNI and Bleary & District, both in Grade 2 and, from Eire, Grade 2 Manorcunningham and Grade 3A Thiepval Memorial. The Ulster-Scots Agency Juvenile band will perform, as will renowned piper Fred Morrison in a Sunday closing concert.

In the solo competitions, snare drummers on Friday include William Glenholmes, Lee Lawson, Michael McKenna, Aaron McLean, Chris McNicholl and Jake Stafford Jorgenson. In the Saturday Solo Invitational Piping Event are Margaret Dunn, Gordon McCready, Ashley McMichael, Craig Munro, Kevin Rogers and Gordon Walker.

Wasson added that his plan is to start with the piping and drumming community, “but our intention is to open it out to the other band genres of the Ulster Scots, namely melody flute bands, accordion bands and possibly silver bands, creating a large cultural event that people from outside of the province would want to come and visit and take part in.”

Both Winter Storm and The Spring Gatherin’ are not-for-profit events.

The RSPBA’s Northern Ireland branch has reportedly expressed concern about The Spring Gatherin’, and the event will likely come up at the RSPBA annual general meeting on Saturday, March 14th, in Glasgow.