Pipers and drummers go world class

The Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band could be taking its youngest ever team to the world championships in Scotland in August.

The No 1 pipe band includes four teenagers, an encouraging sign of rejuvenation for Pipe Major Stewart Mckenzie and Drum Sergeant Gary Potter.

The youngest player is piper Sebastian George, aged 16. The others are drummer Alicia Martin, Callum Carn and Kurt Thompson, who are all 18.

Mckenzie said the influx of youth was a credit to the standard of teaching available in Palmerston North.

Stewart said seeing a more youthful lineup of players also reflected a renaissance in the Celtic arts, and a renewed interest from young people in their Scottish heritage.

In the last weekend of July the players from Palmerston North, ‘‘the beating heart’’ of the band, are packing their Clan Cameron kilts, their drums and pipes, and are heading to Glasgow Green for the world championships.

Other band members from the South Island, Australia and the United Kingdom will swell the number of playing members to 40.

‘‘We have a wide range of personal connections, and people who like our choice of music. People will literally change hemispheres to play with the band.’’

Mckenzie’s goal for the band was to make the finals against the 21 topgrade bands, the cream of the 200 competing bands, or to improve on their best performance of ninth place in the world in 2013.

The band has a track record that has it well placed for success. It has won the New Zealand championship seven times since 2001.

It won the Australian championship in 2002, and is one of the strongest contenders in the southern hemisphere.

The band has had four top-10 finishes at the worlds in total, and has been placed eighth in the Medley event on two occasions.

In past international competitions it has won the Bridge of Allan Highland Games in 2007, and qualified for the Grade 1 finals at the world championships in six out of six attempts since 2003.

But it will face stiff competition from close to home, with the New Zealand Police Band that claimed the national title this year in Feilding also heading to the world championships.

It will be the Manawatu band’s ninth trip to the world championships in its 91-year history.

The band has helped pay for its travels with sales from two albums – The Calling in 2003 and Twelve Thousand Miles in 2009.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED The Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band’s front rank during a street march at the 2015 nationals, from left, Stew Mckenzie, Jordan Johnston, Willie Rowe, Paul Hughes, Shannin Mortensen, Cameron Mckean and Stuart Easton.