Culter & District wins High Note vote

After more than 2,000 votes were counted, Grade 4 Culter & District of Culter, Scotland, was elected the winner of the first High Note competition. The band will receive tuition and coaching from organizers Jason Briscoe and Gleren Meneghin, as well as the benefit of the Grade 1 veterans competing with the band at the 2019 World Championships.

+ Seven finalists picked for High Note public vote

+ High Note giving-back venture off to a fast start

Culter & District beat out six other finalists in a week of public voting, capturing 24% of the overall tally. The Grade 3 Lewis Pipe Band and Grade 4 Kilbarchan, both of Scotland, placed second and third, with 20% and 18% of the vote, respectively.

Also short-listed were Concord (Grade 3, Hengelo, the Netherlands), Irvine & District (Grade 4, Irvine, Scotland), Isle of Skye (Grade 4, Portree, Scotland), and Vale of Atholl (Grade 4, Pitlochry, Scotland).

Originally, nominations for 65 bands were received for the inaugural High Note initiative, which Briscoe said was simply a way for him and Meneghin to give back to the piping and drumming community after many years of participation in the art. Briscoe was a piper with the Grade 1 78th Fraser Highlanders of Canada and Grade 1 ScottishPower of Scotland; Meneghin was for several years a snare drummer with Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia of Scotland.

“We didn’t expect nearly this many responses, but it goes to show how hungry these bands are for this type of platform,” Briscoe said.