Ex-Field Marshal drummers join up with Shotts & Dykehead
Pipe Bands by Mervyn McConnell
SHOTTS & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe band have announced their list of players fur the 2003 season.
They will field 24 pipers and 15 drummers. Among their new drum corps will be Andrew Scullion and Alan Reynolds originally from F i e l d M a r s h a l Montgomery Pipe Band. The drum corps of Shotts, which is under the instruction of world champion solo drummer Jim Kilpatrick, have won the world drumming title an amazing 12 times - 11 of which were won back to back between 1988 and 1998.
They also have the distinction of taking the champion of champions title 13 times.
A `Tartan Extravaganza' concert will be held at Coleraine Town
Hall on Wednesday 5 February commencing at 8pm.
The artistes will include Robert Watt, Ireland's champion piper;
Emma Culbert, champion accordionist; Alistair McCullough, fiddler
and William Loughlin, vocalist, along with Grove Pipe Band.
Tickets cost £10 and can be obtained by telephoning 2954 0261.
The new style diary of events published by the Northern Ireland Branch of the RSPBA should be available at the next Branch meeting on Saturday 25 January.
It will feature all dates for forthcoming competitions, names of all the officials, and many more interesting news items. The man to see to order your copy is Walter McKibben and he can be contacted by telephoning 90 610198
The new date for the annual quartettes, which will take place at Ballynahinch High School, will be 15 March. At the end of last year the Northern Ireland Executive voted to add the drumming quartettes to the already popular piping ones. For further information please contact Branch secretary Lorraine McVeigh telephone number 9752 1657.
The Annual display and Presentations of Certificates of the Belvoir Drum Majors will take place on Friday 28 February in Belvoir Parish Church Hall commencing at 8 pm Everyone will be very welcome. For further details please contact Ronnie Davidson 90298837.
G l a s g o w S k y e Association Pipe Band have appointed a new leading drummer. Pipe Major Craig Campbell is delighted that Derek Craig has accepted the post of leading their drum corps.
Derek is the son of Gordon Craig, who led the Glasgow Skye's drum section for 18 years.
Their long time leading tip Jim Collins stepped down at the end of last season and Keith Orr, formerly from McNeillstown, accepted the position. But then Andrew Scullion resigned from world champions Field Marshal Montgomery, and Keith accepted that job.
Glasgow Skye is one of the oldest top grade civilian bands in the world, and Pipe Major Craig Campbell is sure the band will go from strength to strength with Derek's leadership of the drum corps.
The South Belfast Cultural Society are holding their annual Burns Night in the Europa Hotel on Friday 31 January, starting at 8.15pm and ending at lam.
The entertainment will include Grade 1 Ballycoan Pipe band under Pipe Major Alfie Rea, the Ulster-Scots Folk Orchestra, Gillian Jones and the Scottish show band The Mesengers. Tickets cost £15 with dinner or £8 without dinner and tickets can be purchased from John Dean 90 321766.
The Pipe band Association regret the sudden death of vice President Alan S. Watts MBE JP who died whilst on holidays in Tenerife, and send their deepest sympathy to all his family.
Ulster Star
24/01/2003
