Belvoir Parish Drum Majors hold 20th annual display
Pipe Bands by Mervyn McConnell
BELVOIR Parish Drum Majors will be holding their 20th annual Drum Majors Display and Presentation of Certificates on Friday March 24 in Belvoir Parish Church Hall commencing at 8pm.
The Drum Majors inspection will be taken by Colin Brown from Carrickfergus and the Drum Majors display will be under the expertise of Drum Major Kathleen Smyth.
The evening will feature Cleland Pipe Band who were the 2005 Grade 4B Cowal Champions, Highland dancing by the Lynsey Ellis School of Dancing, solo piping by Neil Milligan and a special guest appearance of ex world drum major champion Alan McBride who is also a renowned singer.
The Belvoir Drum Majors is supported by the Ulster Scots Agency, the Enkalon Foundation and Knockbracken Fuels.
There will be several pipe band events coming up in the month of April and it would be worth noting the dates now to avoid missing any.
Kicking off the month will be the 19th Annual Solo competition organised by Cullybackey Pipe Band and held in Cullybackey High School on Saturday April 1 commencing at 10.30am. Entries need to be in before Saturday March 25 with secretary Mr. J. Gribben, 52 Elmwood, Cullybackey Ballymena BT43 5PY telephone 2588 1901.
Still on April 1, a concert will be organised by the Cullenfad Pipe Band featuring Bleary Pipe Band under Pipe Major Nigel Davidson and Leading Tip Ian Lawson.
Entitled the Festival of Music it will take place at the Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre Cookstown starting at 7.45pm and Blear\ hand will be joined on stage by Scottish and Irish dancers, a traditional folk group and a silver band.
Tickets cost £10 and can be obtained from the Burnavon booking office 8676 9949 or online www.burnavon.com. The Festival of Piping and Drumming organised by the Competing Soloists Organisation have changed the date of their event from April 14 and 15 to April 7 and 8.
It will be held in Monkstown Community School and competitors will be notified of all times of events.
Seven Towers Pipe band will be in concert on Saturday April 15 in Letterkenny. The band will be the guests of Letterkenny Pipe Band who compete under Pipe Major Mervyn Elvin in Grade 4A Seven Towers, who won the 2005 world pipe band championships in Glasgow in Grade 3A, will be the main attraction of the concert.
The annual concert promoted by the Mid-Ulster Drumming School will be held on Saturday April 29 in Maghera High School. It I will commence at 7.15pm, and the compere will be Robert Ramsey from Coleraine. The guest band will be Ballycoan under the leadership of Pipe Major Alfie Rea who are one of the top concert bands in Northern Ireland.
Also appearing on the stage will be Stuart Liddell a member of the Simon Fraser University tom Vancouver and who is now residing in Inversary Scotland.
Contact Gary Smyth on 7964 5799 for tickets or any more information.
If you have ever thought you might like to try your hand at piping or drumming but have no instruments or knowledge of what is involved, then you might like to try the new piping and drumming course organised by Brookmount Cultural and Education Society.
The course will run for 20 weeks and has been sponsored by the Ulster-Scots Agency and is aimed at all ages and abilities.
Classes will take place each Wednesday from 7.30pm to 9.30pm in Lowquarter Orange Hall in Magheragall. Admission is £1 and instruments will be provided. For further information please contact 07308 138016.
Ulster Star
17/03/2006
