Richard Parkes retires: the greatest pipe-major in competitive pipe band history steps down as FMM leader

After 43 years, 25 Ulster Championships, 27 All-Ireland Championships, 17 Scottish Championships, 13 European Championships, 12 Cowal Championships, 12 British Championships, five UK Championships, 15 RSPBA Grade 1 Champion of Champions titles, and, most famously, 13 World Championships, Richard Parkes has retired as pipe-major of Field Marshal Montgomery.

Matt Wilson is the now pipe-major. Wilson has held the pipe-sergeant role for the last seven years and has been a member of FMM since 2003. He is the Director of the Piping & Drumming program at Dollar Academy and has taken the school’s Juvenile band into competition for many years. Wilson is also a highly successful solo competition piper.

Band members were informed of the change in an online meeting on September 14, 2024, and asked to decide their plans within a week.

With Wilson and several other members based in Scotland, full band practices will be held in both Northern Ireland and Scotland. Field Marshal Montgomery has held smaller practices in Glasgow for Scotland-based players for many years.

The band’s membership affiliation will continue with the RSPBA’s Northern Ireland branch.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to lead Field Marshal Montgomery.” – Richard Parkes

“It has been an honour and a privilege to lead Field Marshal Montgomery,” Parkes said. “It has taken me around the world and been the conduit for some of the most meaningful experiences and friendships of my life. I will miss it beyond words, but I am also grateful for what lies ahead. I look forward to seeing the band flourish under Matt and Gareth’s leadership.”

Though the most significant, Matt Wilson’s appointment is only the fifth major leadership change for the band since 1981. Lead-Drummer Gordon Parkes handed the role to Andrew Scullion in 1998. Keith Orr took the L-D spot in 2002, and Alastair Dunn retired after 21 years as pipe-sergeant in 2018. Most recently, Orr handed leading-drummer responsibilities to Gareth McLees in 2023.

“Richard leaves a legacy as a pipe-major that we will not see the likes of again in our lifetime.” – FMM Pipe-Major Matt Wilson

“Richard leaves a legacy as a pipe-major that we will not see the likes of again in our lifetime,” Matt Wilson said. “It has been the highlight of my piping career being his pipe-sergeant and learning from the best. We are lucky to have been a part of his success; we will miss him terribly, and thank him for a historic 43 years at the helm of FMM.”

When it comes to competitive success, there is no debate about Parkes’s place in pipe band history as the most successful pipe-major ever. He leaves the role after another strong competition season, including winning the 2024 European Championship and second at the World’s.

His career in pipe bands started at age nine with the local Raffrey Pipe Band in 1970. When Raffrey merged with Field Marshal Montgomery, calling itself “Freymont” as a competitive Grade 3 band. By 1976, the band became Field Marshal Montgomery and rose to Grade 2 by the late 1970s under Pipe-Major Ricky Newell. When Newell left the band in 1981, Richard Parkes was elected pipe-major, and in 1985 Field Marshal Montgomery was promoted to Grade 1.

Only six years later, the band won the 1992 World Championship and has been a consistent powerhouse in the top three of the pipe band world ever since.

As for why he decided to retire now, Parkes said, “The band is strong, and, as preparing a band to compete at the highest level each season gets more and more demanding, now is the right time for me to step back. I have recently retired from full-time work; I am fortunate to have my health and a wonderful family, and now is the time for the next chapter of my life.”

Despite suffering a stroke in March 2004 due to a transatlantic flight that caused a suspected deep vein thrombosis blood clot, Parkes made a full recovery and led the band to a remarkable World’s victory that August.

He was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 2004 in Queen Elizabeth II’s Birthday Honours.

In 2019, Parkes was recognized by Queen’s University in Belfast with an honourary doctoral degree in literature for services to music, and later that year, he received an honourary doctor of letters degree from Ulster University for services to pipe band music.

Always self-effacing and never assuming anything, humility and professionalism are hallmarks of Richard Parkes as a leader. Numerous successful Grade 1 pipe-majors have emerged from the ranks of FMM, including Ryan Canning (Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia), David Chesney (Closkelt), Emmett Conway (New Zealand Police, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia) and Alex Gandy (78th Highlanders Halifax Citadel), and now Matt Wilson. The band has been a magnet for many of the world’s best pipers and drummers,

We extend our congratulations and thanks to Richard Parkes on this historic occasion.

Readers are invited to use our Comments feature below to comment on his accomplishments and contributions to the pipe band world.