MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2016: Johnstone Pipe Band

Congratulations to Johnstone Pipe Band who have been nominated in Pipe band of the Year sponsored by The Glenturret Single Malt Whisky in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2016. Vote now!

We asked Alan McGeoch of Johnstone Pipe Band the following questions.

Tell us about yourself
Johnstone Pipe Band are delighted to be nominated for the Pipe Band of the year Award. Our band was founded in 1943 and is recognised as a Scottish Charity, we have a strong tradition in teaching piping and drumming to the highest levels. Our bands compete regularly in highland games, Pipe Band Championships and we also regularly participate in high profile events and continental festivals.

The organisation is mostly self-funded with over 100 people spread across the various sections of the organisation:-
• Grade One band
• Grade 4 Band
• Learner classes
Our senior band, newly promoted to Grade 1, is led by Pipe Major Keith J Bowes who is ably assisted by leading Drummer Leslie Galbraith and Pipe Sergeant Dougie Campbell. The band consists of over 45 competing bandsmen.
Our Grade 4 band, newly promoted to Grade 4A, is led by Pipe Major Keith A Bowes. The band has 30 bandsmen and has a low average age with the youngest only 10 years old. The band is a feeder band for the grade 1 band and presents a natural progression route for our learner classes.
Learner Classes: The band has always had an active youth policy and many of the pipers and drummers in the current band are products of in house tuition. Currently we have 40 learners recruited from local schools attending classes in our band hall.
The bands work in this area has been recognised by Renfrewshire Council and the band is the Councils preferred partner in piping and drumming tuition, delivering tuition in 16 primary schools and 4 high schools. 2016/2017 is the fourth year of joint working with the Council and Creative Scotland, and the second year of working with the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Trust.

Why are you involved in Scottish music?
All of our members enjoy performing a mix of traditional and contempary music, many of our members and former members are involved at the cutting edge of the traditional scene.

As well as performing we think that teaching the next generation is just an important and we would like to think that we have and will continue to be part of the current boom in pipe band music.

Any particular career highlights?
2014 Grade 3A World, European and Scottish Champions and Best Drum Corps at the Worlds, Scottish and UK championships. The above results combined resulted in the band winning the grade 3A Champion of Champions 2014.

2015 Grade 2 World & European champions
2016 Grade 2 World Champions, Grade 4B European, Scottish and World Champions. Grade 4B Champion of Champions.

2016 has by far been the most exciting time to be in the organisation with the senior band having won the worlds for the third year in succession and with the Grade 4B winning the worlds in their grade on same day. Our grade 4B pipe major Keith A Bowes, who also played in the grade 2 band, joins an elite group of Pipe Majors who has won two World Championships on the same day!

The season was rounded off in style when both bands were promoted by the RSPBA in September. The grade 4B band were promoted to 4A and the Grade 2 band to Grade 1.

Away from the competition results the band is equally proud its performance in piping and drumming qualifications. The band has a considerable history of promoting the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Associations structured learning programme and the Piping and Drumming Qualification Board’s examinations: at least 70% of our members have a qualification at some level.

All Learners and bandsmen are encouraged to sit exams at an early stage, advancing through the levels as their piping and drumming career develops.
In the last five years we have run PDQB courses in our hall and have presented 120 students for examination.

What are your plans for the future?
Our plan for the future is straight forward – to continue to improve and to establish our bands as competitive grade 1 and grade4A bands through hard work and determination.

In the not too distant future we hope to launch a third band which will compete in the Novice Juvenile grade

If you would like to come along to the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards in Dundee’s Caird Hall call the Caird Hall box office on (01382) 434940 or buy online.