Quartets clinch pipe band podium places
A fab four of young Lochgilphead musicians are celebrating after taking home first prize in a national schools pipe band competition.
And four more of their classmates, Lochgilphead Joint Campus “B”, are also celebrating after clinching third place to join them on the podium.
The quartet from Lochgilphead Joint Campus hit the right note with the judges at this year’s annual Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championship (SSPBC), sealing a win in the highly-contested quartets category.
In what was one of the most anticipated dates in the piping calendar, more than 120 schools went head-to-head across 81 performances, vying for success across the championships’ eight categories.
Launched in 2013, the championships are part of a nationwide drive by the Scottish
Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT) to revive dwindling access to the traditional Scottish instruments across schools.
Inveraray-based piper Stuart Liddell, a tutor with Lochgilphead Joint Campus, said: “We’re absolutely delighted. It was great to be competing at the championship in the quartet event and we had an amazing time listening to all the other wonderful group performances.”
The array of talented pipe bands, quartets and freestyles showcased their skills on Sunday March 12 at Kilmarnock’s William McIlvanney Campus.
The fantastic fours of Lochgilphead Joint Campus “A” and “B” were pitted against well-resourced schools such as Hutchesons’ Grammar School, The High School of Glasgow, Fettes College, Edinburgh, and Dollar Academy, as well as island bands from Arran and Skye.