Promising
start to Grade Three life for Tweedvale Pipe Band.
Tweedvale Pipe Band travelled
to Dunbar last Saturday to take part in the twenty fifth annual pipe band contest at Winterfield Park, traditionally the first
outdoor pipe band contest of the new season in the Lothian and Borders area. The event “enjoyed” typical east
coast weather – cold and windy with the ever present threat of rain – which made setting up a sound difficult.
Playing their March, Strathspey and Reel set of “Glenfinnan Highland Gathering”, “Captain Colin Campbell”,
and “Lexy McAskill” for the first time ever in a competition setting, Tweedvale put in a very creditable performance
considering that only four of the band members have ever played at this level previously. The band was drawn to play 9th
out of 14 bands but because of late withdrawals ended up playing slightly earlier than expected. The band played well and
when the results were announced Tweedvale found that it had been placed ninth overall, with the piping placed eighth and the
drumming sixth. The overall feeling of the band after the result was announced was one of quiet satisfaction. Tweedvale Pipe
Band’s attendance at the Dunbar contest was made possible by coach sponsorship from Blackwood & Smith, to whom the
band extends its thanks.
Reflecting
on the Dunbar result Pipe Major Bruce Gillie, in charge of Tweedvale Pipe Band said, “I’m quite pleased with the
result we achieved at Dunbar. This season will involve a steep learning curve for all band members who have to get used to
the higher standards required of a band playing in Grade 3. Our performance at Dunbar, whilst by no means perfect, showed
that we are on the right lines and that better results will come in time. It was also quite pleasing to beat a couple of already
established Grade 3 bands at our very first attempt. I’m sure that this result has given everyone in the band a boost
for the coming season. We are all now focussing on improving our performance in time for the first major of the year, the
Scottish Championships, next weekend.”
As
Pipe Major Gillie mentioned, the 100 Pipers Scottish Championships take place in Levengrove Park Dumbarton this Saturday 19
May. Tweedvale Pipe Band has been drawn to play 12th out of 15 bands in the Grade 3B contest, and will be taking
to the contest field at 11.53am. This unfortunately means an early start for the band with the coach leaving Innerleithen
at 7.30am. The playing requirement for the first major of the year is a March Strathspey and Reel set. The following weekend
sees the band head to West Lothian to take part in the pipe band contest at Bathgate
