Pipers finish competition on high note
Fantastic performance from band
Johnstone Pipe Band turned in an amazing performance at the annual British championships.
Players competed for the first time at their newly promoted grades, finishing third and 10th.
They joined around 4,000 others for the second tournament to be staged at Paisley’s St James’ Playing Fields.
Pipe Major Keith Bowes hailed the musicians for their effort.
He said: “I was delighted that the Johnstone Grade Four and Grade One bands performed well at the first major competition of the year.
“With both bands being newly promoted it was great to see them do so well, as it is never easy to make an impact as you move up the grades.
“There is always lots to improve on, but as long as the standard of the performances continue to do so, then I can’t ask for much more.
“I was also delighted to see many of our Renfrewshire learners came for a listen and to join in with the bands to play during the march past. I hope they will have been inspired for what they can achieve in the future.”
Johnstone Pipe Band has twice won the world championship and faced stiff opposition from established competition.
The Grade Four A band secured the second runner-up spot from a field of 17, while the Grade One group bagged 10th from 16.
Crowds of up to 20,000 gathered for the spectacular, which featured 140 bands from as far afield as Canada and Europe.
The championships are the first in piping’s annual calendar of ‘majors’ and build upon Paisley’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2021.
Musicians are preparing for the Shotts Highland Games on June 3 and the UK Championships in Belfast on the June 1.
They are currently seeking sponsorship to expand educational activities.
For more information on how to join or get started in piping, call 07751 500 520.