Burns Night celebration at the Island Centre
THERE will be a Burns Night celebration in the Island Centre, Lisburn on Friday 26th January at 8 pm featuring Ballycoan Pipe Band ,who compete in Grade 1 under the leadership of Pipe Major Alfie Rea.
Last year the band completed a good season when they finished in first place in their qualifying section at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow. They then went on to take a very commendable 10th placing in the finals against the top pipe bands in the world.
There will be music also from a local Folk Group as well as some Scottish dancing. Tea and Haggis will also be provided. Tickets are available from the Box Office of the Island Centre on 92509254 priced £10.
Antrim Pipe Band are making changes to their leadership for this season with the appointment of William O'Brien as Leading Tip. The band is under the direction of Pipe Major Stephen Elliott and together they hope to build a strong team to challenge in Grade 4.
William brings to the band many years of dedicated service and talent having played with Grade 2 Bessbrook Pipe Band and more recently Grade 4 Drumlough.
He will be joined by his wife Karen who now also drums with the band. Karen is an ex Grade 1 world champion piper having played in Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe band the first time they claimed the world championships title in 1992.
On Saturday 27th January the Belvoir Parish Drum Majors will be playing host to the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Pat McCarthy. The Mayor, who will arrive around 2.30pm, will see the pupils taught the art of drum majoring by class instructor Kathleen Smyth. The drum major classes are held every Saturday from now until 17th March in Belvoir Parish Church Hall at 2.00pm and all interested young people will be made very welcome.
Then on Friday 23rd March they will hold their annual Display and Presentation of Certificates.
World Champions - Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band – will appear at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday 27th January. The band have been invited as part of the annual Celtic Connections Festival. They will be joined on stage by Scottish Power Pipe band from Glasgow.
For anyone interested in obtaining tickets the ticket Hotline number is 0141353 8000. Following on from a successful 2006 concert in Dumfries featuring Field Marshal Montgomery, the members of Dumfries and Galloway Pipe Band have arranged a follow up concert on 7th August 2007 (the week before the World Pipe band Championships) featuring the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band from Canada.
Deepest sympathy is extended to the wife and family of Jim Gordon who died last Friday 5th January 2007.
Jim was well known in piping circles and was the ex Pipe Major of East Belfast (now defunct) and the Quinn Memorial pipe
Ulster Star
12/01/2007
