Parade of champions this to take place this weekend
Pipe Bands by Mervyn McConnell
THIS year's parade of Champion bands and drum majors will take place on Saturday 5 October at 11am at the City Hall Belfast, where they will be greeted by the High Sheriff of Belfast - Councillor Wallace Brown.
The bands will parade up Royal Avenue en masse, and this is always a colourful spectacle for the Saturday morning shoppers.
The annual 'Piper of the Year' invitational solo competition will also be held on Saturday 5 October in the Adair Arms Hotel, Ballymena. There will be sections for piobaireachd and March Strathspey and Reel, and the guest adjudicator will be Fred Morrison from Scotland.
The Belvoir Drum Majors classes will be held each Saturday from 2 to 4 pm on 5, 12, 19 and 26 October, and on the 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 November in Belvoir Parish Church Hall. The annual display and presentation of certificates will take place on Friday 28th February at the same venue.
For further information k please contact Ronnie Davidson, 6 Drumart Park, Belvoir Park, Belfast BT8 7FB telephone number 90-298837.
Michael Hunter, leading Tip with the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe band from Toronto, Canada, has resigned in order to spend more time with his family and business. Michael took on this top post in 1996 and has been instrumental in building up the drum corps section of the band, who finished in fifth place with the band fourth overall at this year's world pipe band championships.
Michael originally came from Edinburgh and emigrated to Canada in 1993. In Scotland he played under Jim Kilpatrick in Polkemmet Colliery band and then in Shotts & Dykehead. He also has won many prizes in the solo drumming championships - something he is also retiring from.
Filling this position now will be John Fisher from Victoria, British Columbia.
He played under the late great Alex Duthart who was the Leading Tip with Shotts & Dykehead.
John has spent the last few years teaching and studying pipe band drumming and has taught at numerous workshops.
He is still in big demand as a studio musician.
Donald MacPhee of the Grade 2 Dumbarton & District Pipe band from Scotland, who played recently at the European Championships in the Ormeau Park, Belfast, has resigned from the position of Pipe Major with the band.
Ulster Star
04/10/2002
