pipes|drums’ fearless forecasts for the year 2014

January, and provide a bit of context and commentary:

1. ScottishPower will win at least one major RSPBA championship.

Incorrect. But ScottishPower gained momentum as the year progressed. The band’s Medley in the Final at the World Pipe Band Championships was a standout moment of the year for many.

2. Field Marshal Montgomery will win the 2013 World Pipe Band Championship.

Correct. Not only did FMM win a fourth straight World’s, and its ninth title in all, but the band won every event it played in in 2013, and completed a rare grand slam of all five RSPBA majors.

3. BBC Scotland will stream only the Sunday of the 2013 World’s Grade 1 event.

Correct. The Beeb gained the rights to the broadcast of the World’s Grade 1 Final, but details of the valuable legal licensing agreement  if there is in fact an agreement  remain a mystery.

4. Toronto Police Pipe Band to compete with one more creative and one more traditional medley.

Correct. The band retrenched musically, perhaps looking for less disapproval, but ended its year getting drenched both physically and figuratively in the Grade 1 Qualifier at the World’s.

5. Existing Scottish police pipe bands to be amalgamated into a single Scottish Police Services super-band. Players not making the cut filter out, making overall Scottish standard stronger.

Incorrect. Thankfully, though, the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band was saved, becoming the Greater Glasgow Police Scotland Pipe Band, while Fife Constabulary also held together under the name Police Scotland Fife.