Warren takes over as P-M of Hawthorn City

After seven years at the helm, Mark Saul has stepped down as Pipe-Major of the Grade 2 Hawthorn City Pipe Band, handing over the reins to Kyle Warren.

The move comes a little more than two months before the bi-annual Australian Pipe Band Championships in Sydney, and Saul will reportedly remain with the band.

A native of Scotland and former member of Grade 1 Field Marshal Montgomery, Kyle Warren immigrated to Australia in 2014 and shares piping teaching duties with Saul at Scotch College in Melbourne, which has produced players for Hawthorn City.

“The strong link between the school and the band is vitally important going forward given the smaller scene here compared to what I am used to back in Scotland and Northern Ireland,” Warren said in a statement to pipes|drums. “We’re looking forward to the nationals this year and beyond and hopefully we can create a sustainably competitive band that in time will travel internationally to compete with our long term goal of winning promotion to Grade 1.”

Hawthorn City also added Jamie Hawke of Christchurch, New Zealand, to the ranks as Pipe-Sergeant.

Hawthorn City has Scott Birrell, another Scots émigré, as its lead-drummer. Birrell took over the role in 2013 and is a former member of Grade 1 Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia.

Warren is also the compiler of Tunez, a collection of his original music that he published in 2010.