It was a good day for many at the All-Ireland Solo Championships at Trinity Comprehensive School, Dublin, on Saturday 19 September. 187 soloists competed, with the majority of competitors spanning the length of Ireland, and many travelling from further afield to compete. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band was well represented throughout the grades, especially in the Senior level, where piper Jonathan Greenlees won the March, Strathspey & Reel competition to be named Senior All-Ireland Champion. Fellow FMM piper Andrew Carlisle wasn’t far behind, in third place. Jonathan also faired well in the 'A' Grade Piobaireachd, finishing second overall just behind Andrew, who won the event.
Other FMM members to do well included Emmett Conway who finished second in the Intermediate Piping, and also finished third in the 'A' Grade Piobaireachd. Gareth McLees also did well, finished third in the prize list in the Junior Drumming competition, which included two difficult qualifying heats comprising 31 drummers! Well done to all the competitors and to those from Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band who did well.
The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band ended the 2009 competition season on a high by winning the Cowal Championships in Dunoon, Scotland, on Saturday 29 August. The Cowal Championship marks the last of the five major championships, concluding the season and being the last decider of the coveted RSPBA Champion of Champions title for the best band overall throughout the year. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band won the Cowal title, this year a March, Strathspey & Reel event, playing its number 1 set, Highland Wedding, Blair Drummond & Pretty Marion.
125 bands competed at the event and Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band participated in the parade, leading the bands down the street through Dunoon town in front of a huge crowd. The win marked the taking of 4 out of the 5 possible majors, only losing out on the World Championships by finishing in the runner-up spot. As a result, the band firmly won the coveted RSPBA Champion of Champions title by a clear 29 points out of a maximum possible of a perfect 30; 6 points clear of any other band.
The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band are proud that the 2009 season ends with the band being named Ulster Champions, All-Ireland Champions, Scottish Champions, British Champions, European Champions, World Champions Runners-up, Cowal Champions, and RSPBA Champion of Champions; a near perfect season!
The best solo pipers in the world gathered in Oban on Wednesday and Thursday the 26th and 27th of August for the Argyllshire Gathering, the first of two contests which make up the most important solo piping events of the year. During this time, the town of Oban is swarmed with hundreds of solo pipers, with the Senior Piobaireachd, Gold Medal and Silver Medal events for Piobaireachd being held on the Wednesday at various indoor venues and the light music being held outdoors on the Thursday.
Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band was well represented, with 7 pipers from the band competing in the various events. Day 1 ended with Field Marshal Montgomery’s Pipe Sergeant, Alastair Dunn, being called out as winner of the prestigious Gold Medal for Piobaireachd. Alastair is now a double gold medallist, having won his first Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting in 2006. As is tradition, Day 2 saw the solo pipers march in a massed band from Oban town up to the Games, led by the winner of the Gold Medal. The Gold and Silver Medallists can each choose one piper to stand beside them in the front rank of the massed band and Alastair was supported by fellow FMM piper and gold medallist competitor Jonathan Greenlees during the march. As the day progressed, FMM members also succeeded in the light music competitions, including Andrew Carlisle who achieved 3rd place in the 'A' Grade March and Gordon McCready who achieved 3rd in the Open Jig. The sister event to the Argyllshire Gathering is the Northern Meeting, which will take place on Thursday and Friday, the 3rd and 4th of September in Inverness.
It wasn’t long ago that the start of the 2009 pipe band season had just begun and now in no time it has come to a close, ending in Portrush on Saturday 22 August. The day marked the last competition of the year for the Northern Ireland pipe bands on the domestic front, and was held at the usual venue at Ramore Head in Portrush. For the Grade 1 bands, a March, Strathspey & Reel competition was the event of the day in preparation for the Cowal Gathering next weekend in Scotland, the last of the five major championships hosted by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association. The band drew its number one set, the Highland Wedding, Blair Drummond & Pretty Marion, as played at the World Pipe Band Championships the weekend previous. The band won the event with 4 firsts. The last competition of the year includes a special ceremony where all the World Champions from the weekend from the Northern Ireland branch of the RSPBA are last in to the march past in a special ceremony and it was once again special to see many titles throughout the grades come back to Northern Ireland. The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band will compete for the last time this year at the Cowal Championships in Dunoon, Scotland, on Saturday 29 August.
Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band finished as runners-up at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow on 15 August, 2009. The championship was a spectacular success, with over 8000 pipers and drummers from 210 pipe bands and 16 nations competing in front of an estimated 40,000 spectators for the honour of being called World Champions. It was also the first year that the contest was streamed live on the BBC’s website, including viewers around the world as members of a virtual audience. Thousands of people were able to enjoy the day from the comfort of their homes. For those at the park however, weather is always a huge factor in the success of the day and 2009 was no different. Competitors across the grades in the morning were faced with heavy rain, and the weather reports predicted a wash-out. However, by the time the Grade 1 final started around lunch time, bands were able to tune up in a drier setting and weather changed variably between overcast skies and then patchy sunshine. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band was third on in the final and drew their Number 1 March Strathspey & Reel, Highland Wedding, Blair Drummond & Pretty Marion.
The band was able to tune up in overcast conditions, although a sudden burst of sunshine in the last minutes of final tuning made for a challenging tuning environment. Despite the challenges, the band put on a very strong MSR performance to complete the first half of the contest. In the afternoon, the band once again enjoyed sunshine (this time with a bit more warning) and put in another excellent performance to complete the second half and contribute strongly to the standard of the competition with two very solid runs. At the end of the day, the band was called out as runners-up to the World title.
Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band had a successful day in Newcastle, County Down, retaining the Ulster Championships on Saturday 8th of August. The band finished first overall and won both the March, Strathspey & Reel and the Medley, won Best Drumming and Best Piping and finished with six out of eight first place marks across all judges, including two firsts in drumming, three out of four firsts in piping and four unanimous first place marks in the Medley.
The day was a great pre-curser to next weekend's World Pipe Band Championships, especially given the opportunity for all the Grade 1 bands to play twice. The weather was very warm and sunny throughout the early afternoon, with a few showers in between the two Grade 1 events and was overcast and cooler for the Medley competition. The contest also benefited from additional overseas bands to challenge for the title, adding greatly to the competition. The band will now focus their efforts completely on the World Championships for next weekend in Glasgow. If you can’t make it on the day, don’t forget to watch the competition live at www.bbc.co.uk/worlds.
The BBC has announced that the 2009 World Pipe Band Championships will be broadcast live to viewers across the world for the first time ever this year. The World Pipe Band Championships have benefitted in recent years from BBC involvement which has seen increased coverage of the event, including a television programme with commentary, and video footage of the Grade 1 final made available online. However in the past, this footage has only been available to BBC viewers in the UK and has been produced after the event has passed.
This year, the BBC has expanded its coverage to include live footage which will be streamed as it happens on the day, and further, this will be available to any viewer around the world via the Internet. The inclusion of international viewers and introduction of live coverage is a great triumph for the event which is the most important occasion for pipe bands on the planet.
Make sure to catch the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band live at www.bbc.co.uk/worlds on Saturday, 15 August!
For some pipers from the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, it’s been more than just success for the band which has made the summer a good one. Pipers from the band have had to work the solo circuit around the band’s heavy practice and competition schedule, but have claimed several prizes during the month of July, including:
The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band has retained its title as European Champions on Saturday, 25 July, in Inverclyde, Scotland. It was another fantastic day for the band, winning its third major championship of the season in an incredible build up to the World Pipe Band Championships. 123 bands competed at the event which was held in a scenic location along the Clyde waterfront, with huge crowds filtering in to watch the bands, dancing and drum majors throughout the day. The weather provided an excellent platform for the makings of a good competition and the day was very warm and sunny, with a cool breeze off the water to take the edge off the heat.
The Grade 1 event was another Medley competition. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band were second on out of 13 bands and drew its number one medley set for the first time at a major championship, which will be performed at the World Championship this year. The band had another solid run, and was pleased to get another chance to play its new medley this year. When the results were called, the band was elated to be named European Champions, keeping the title from last year’s big win and was more delighted still to learn that the points breakdown was two firsts in piping, first in ensemble and third in drumming, to win with a solid 6 points overall. Coincidentally, the band has won three out of three majors this year with the same strong points value.
Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band will next perform at the Ulster Championships in Newcastle, Northern Ireland, on Saturday 8 August, 2009 before competing for the World Championship on Saturday 15 August, 2009 in Glasgow, Scotland.
You can hear the band’s winning European Championship performance in the embedded YouTube clip.
Saturday 4 July was another great day in the 2009 season for the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, who won the All-Ireland Pipe Band Championships for a record 18th time. The contest was held in Lisburn, the home town of the band. Following a week long heat spell across the UK and Ireland, the weather at the competition was cooler with occasional showers but was mostly dominated by partly cloudy sunshine. The All-Ireland always consists of both a March, Strathspey & Reel event as well as a Medley for the Grade 1 bands, with only a very short break in between. For the first this season the band drew its number one MSR set, Highland Wedding, Blair Drummond & Pretty Marion, making a nice contrast to the number 2 set the band has drawn three times this season. For the Medley competition the band was able to select its new number one Medley, performing it for the second time after its debut in Portadown two weeks previous. The band was pleased to finish the day by winning both events, securing the MSR on ensemble preference with two firsts and two seconds and winning the medley with a unanimous four firsts from all the judges. The combined win of both the MSR and the Medley marked the 18th All-Ireland title in the band’s history and was a pleasing result in the lead up to the European Championships, held on 25 July, after a short two week break for the band.
Saturday 27 June, 2009 was a fantastic day for the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, who won their second major championship of the season and were crowned the new British Champions for 2009. 146 bands across all grades competed for the coveted title in their respective grades, travelling from across Ireland, the UK, and Europe to compete at the championship held in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. The Grade 1 competition was especially strong, with humid and sunny weather providing a good platform for bands to take the time to set a good sound and many people commented on the high quality presented throughout the grade.
The event was a Medley competition, which saw many new selections debuted from different bands. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band had submitted a new Medley for this season, which was aired for the first time in Portadown last weekend.
On the day, the band drew the number two selection, as performed at last year’s World Pipe Band Championships. The band had a very solid performance and both the pipe and drum corps were extremely happy with how they played.
The result was a positive one, with the band gaining two unanimous first place finishes in piping, the drum corps winning the drumming and a third in ensemble to cement the overall win.
The band’s next performance will be at the All-Ireland Championships in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, on Saturday, 4 July, 2009.
You can listen to the band’s winning performance on the YouTube clip embedded below.
Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band competed for the third time this year in Portadown, Northern Ireland, on Saturday 20 June, 2009. This date on the Northern Ireland pipe band calendar is usually marked by the Country Down Championships in Banbridge, however given Banbridge is the venue for next weekend’s British Championships, Portadown took on the contest this year instead. It proved to be an excellent venue and was well attended. The competition comprised both a March, Strathspey & Reel event and a Medley event for the three Grade 1 bands which competed. For the MSR, the band drew its number two set for the third time this year, playing Pipe Major Tom McAllister, Susan MacLeod & Charlie’s Welcome. The band was able to select its own Medley for the second half, enabling the band to debut its new Medley for 2009. As next weekend’s Championships will be a draw between two Medley sets, Portadown marked an important outing for the band to get a run at the new set. The band finished by winning both events, winning overall. You can enjoy the band's new Medley with the embedded YouTube player below.
R G Hardie & Co Ltd has agreed a two year sponsorship with Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band. This is an extension to the agreement signed in 2006 with St. Kilda and associated companies. In addition to other support the new deal will see the band wear the new trademarked Piper Flex Jacket in 2009 which was designed by R G Hardie.
The band will be selling their current Piper Jackets to raise funds and interested parties should e-mail the band at info@fmmpb.com.
General Manager Alastair Dunn says “After a difficult period through 2003/2004 Hardies came under professional management at the end of 2005 and I took on the position of General Manager. I am very proud of what my team has achieved over these years in terms of manufacturing output, new products and our reputation for consistent quality and attention to detail.
The support that FMMPB has provided to Hardies has been invaluable in the development and fine tuning of our products and we are proud that almost half of the band have chosen to play Peter Henderson Bagpipes. The expertise and professionalism of the band and its individual members ensures we are constantly challenged to produce the best.
We are very aware that the future of Hardies is dependent on the quality of the products we produce and the service we provide. The continued partnership with Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band will ensure Hardies stays at the forefront of piping.”
Chairman, Earl Glasgow says “This is fantastic news for the band. R G Hardie extending the sponsorship for another two years ensures we are always looking smart and professional. It really does allow us to focus on our playing without worrying about the financial burden of supplying the band with uniforms for new players or replacing uniform when needed. The new Piper Flex Jacket has been very well received by the players in the band. We are very grateful to R G Hardie & Co. Ltd for their support, with this continued sponsorship."
It was a proud day for FMM drummer Earl Glasgow when he wed new wife Ann Henry on Saturday 25th April, 2009. Earl is one of the longest serving members of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, now in his 16th competitive season with the band! He has played in an enormous 74 major championships with FMM, playing under three leading drummers, and winning 14 Ulster titles, 12 All Irelands, 8 Scottish Championships, 3 British Championships, 7 European Championships, 6 Cowal Championships, 4 World Championships and 5 Champion of Champions titles. Earl is also one of the main men behind the seasons and works in his spare time as the band’s secretary since 2002, looking after admin, trophies, registrations, uniforms, and sponsorship. When he’s not busy keeping the band in order, he spends his time as a UK Sales Director for a firm supplying IT and Business Services to the financial services, and banks: a job which frequently takes him across the country. Ann works for the health service in social work for Eldercare, and although not in the pipe band scene herself, is hugely supportive of Earl.
The wedding ceremony took place at 1pm at Culnady Presbyterian Church and then the reception was held at Rosspark Hotel in Kells. The wedding party included Best Man Stephen Rourke, another long serving FMM member, junior groomsman Simon Andrews, Matron of Honour Helen Kirkpartrick, junior bridesmaid Lynn McKee, and flower girl Rachel Henry. The bride was piped down the aisle by FMM piper Mark Faloon, who also piped the couple up the aisle as Mr and Mrs Earl Glasgow. There were many members of the band, both past and present, there to witness the joyous occasion and those who could not attend due to the Ulster Solos joined in the party in the evening. The couple then left for their honeymoon in Hotel Jardines de Nivaria, Costa Adeje in Tenerife and arrived back just in time to play at Dungannon of course!
Overall, the weather was brilliant, and the champagne reception went down very well. It was also Ann’s birthday, and Earl states, “she was very happy of course to receive a FMM DVD, CD and drum sticks and was officially welcomed in the FMM family by Richard.” Good luck Ann!
Congratulations Earl and Ann, on behalf of the entire band.
It was a great day for FMM pipers Gordon McCready and Alastair Dunn at Blair Atholl on 24 May, 2009, the first outdoor solo contest of the season. The event typically draws a huge number of competitors, and this year was no different with 52 pipers competing in the light music events!
Just a week after winning the Scottish Championships with the band, Gordon McCready followed up with a personal win, finishing 2nd in the March, Strathspey & Reel event and 1st in the Hornpipe & Jig to be named the overall winner on the day.
Alastair Dunn also did well, featuring in every prize list, and finishing 5th in the 'A' Grade Piobaireachd, 5th in the Open March, Strathspey & Reel, and 2nd in the Hornpipe & Jig.
Congratulations to both pipers on their successes.
The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band was named 2009 Scottish Champions at Levengrove Park in Dumbarton on Saturday 16 May. The Scottish Championships marked the first major contest of the 2009 season and the band were delighted to start the season with a strong win. The weather proved to be better than the weekend previous, with light showers in the morning which broke way to patchy sunshine, although with a cold breeze off the water. The band was on seventh and drew its number two set, Pipe Major Tom MacAllister, Susan MacLeod & Charlie’s Welcome. The end results saw the band finish with three firsts and a third, winning piping from both judges, ensemble and finishing third in drumming. The day marked a great start the season for everyone involved and a special congratulations should be extended to the new members of the band who played, and won, their first major.
The band’s next performance will be 20 June, 2009 in Portadown.
The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band officially began the 2009 pipe band season at the County Tyrone Championships in Dungannon on Saturday 11 May at the Dungannon Rugby Club. For the past decade, the first contest of the year has been the Malahide Pipe Band Championships, until last year when the event sadly had to be cancelled at the last minute and a replacement contest was held in Banbridge. This year the event was held in the new location, providing an important first outing before the Scottish Championships the following weekend in Dumbarton, Scotland. The Grade 1 competition was a March, Strathspey & Reel event and the band drew its number two set, Pipe Major Tom McAllister, Susan MacLeod & Charlie’s Welcome. Conditions at the contest saw the weather shifting sporadically throughout the day from sunny spells to heavy downpours and strong winds, making conditions for all bands difficult to tune and play. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band still finished with two firsts in piping, narrowly missing the overall win on an ensemble preference only. The drum corps was however delighted to take home the prize for Best Bass Section. The next performance for the band will be at the Scottish Championships on Saturday 16 May, 2009.
It has been a successful spring for many of the pipers and drummers of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band as they competed in various solo competitions in Northern Ireland and abroad. The first solo contest of the year was the County Antrium Solo Championships in Lisburn on 7 March, 2009. The event replaced the annual Seven Towers Solo Competition which has been running for a few years. The senior piping was won by Lisburn local Jonathan Greenlees, who finished on top in both the Hornpipe & Jig and the March Strathspey & Reel.
The next event was the Cullybackey Solo Championships held on 4 April, 2009. The senior piping was again won by a member of FMMPB, with Andrew Carlisle coming in first followed by FMM piper Ashley McMichael. New pipers Emmett Conway and Conor McCallion also did well, finishing second and third in the intermediate piping, and Aaron McLean won the junior drumming event.
The big spring solo event was the Ulster Solo Championship held on 25 April in Monkstown Community School. Over 200 pipers and drummers competed and Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band came up victorious, with every single FMM member who entered the contest finishing in the prizes. All three top places in the Senior Piping were won by FMM pipers, with Andrew Carlisle finishing first overall with wins in both the Hornpipe & Jig and the March Strathspey & Reel, Ashley McMichael second overall, and Kris Coyle third overall. The Intermediate Piping also saw a clean FMM sweep, with three of the band’s new pipers taking the top prizes. Jonathan Lamberton finished first, Conor McCallion second, and Emmet Conway was third. Jonathan Greenlees also had a victorious day, winning the Open Piobaireachd,and Andrew Carlisle was third. Not to be outdone, drummer Aaron McLean won the Junior Drumming with Gareth McLees second and Gavin Noade finished third in the Senior Drumming.
Success was also felt across the world, when new piper Ian Lyons was triumphant in Hastings, New Zealand, during the Easter weekend. Ian won the prestigious Comumn na Piobaireachd New Zealand Gold Medal. The event is one of the most prestigious in the southern hemisphere. Ian also finished second in the Open March Strathspey & Reel, third in the Open 6/8 March, third in the Open 2/4 Marches where two tunes are played back to back and fourth in the Open Strathspey & Reel. Ian will make his Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band debut later in the year when he will travel from Australia to play with the band.
Congratulations to all the soloists for their success, and for being fantastic representations of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band.
It was a successful weekend of piping and drumming for the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band as they performed for the first time in the 2009 season, playing at the Guildhall in Derry/Londonderry on Saturday evening, and the Ulster Hall in Belfast on Monday.
The Saturday evening concert was part of the first ever Foyle Piping Festival which was organised in part by FMM piper Andrew Carlisle, and saw Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band in concert alongside St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band and other performing traditional artists. The band was featured as the finishing act in two halves, and performed sets from its 2008 DVD release, REWIND:REPLAY. It was the first time the music had been performed since the release of the CD and DVD which features the material. Amongst the concert sets were also two solos from FMM pipers Ryan Canning and Andrew Carlisle and the FMM drum corps played a drum salute lead by Leading Drummer Keith Orr. The band also featured accompanying musicians on bouzouki and drum kit. Historically, the concert marked the first time that Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band and St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band have shared the concert stage.
The culminating set of the night saw the two bands unite to play together, with both pipe corps jointly playing the Highland Wedding with Field Marshal Montgomery’s Drum Corps and lead by Pipe Major Richard Parkes MBE and then playing alongside by St Laurence O’Toole’s drum corps and led by Pipe Major Terry Tully for a jig set which included Merrily Danced the Quakers Wife and Queen of the Rushes. The packet concert featured a strong pipe band audience. We hope the Foyle Piping Festival will continue into the future.
Monday night’s concert was also a part of a greater music festival, this to mark the re-opening of the Ulster Hall in Belfast. The band last shared the stage at the Ulster Hall with the ScottishPower Pipe Band over four years ago. Monday’s performance was shared alongside the West Ocean String Quartet which featured pipes, cello, whistles, piano and keyboards and also saw a performance from singer Brian Kennedy. There was a marked difference to the hall after its refurbishment, and the acoustic quality of the room meant for a fantastic performance from the band, which played in one full half as the culmination of the concert.
It was certainly an evening of firsts, as the band also saw many of its new members in the featuring in the ranks for the first time this year. Congratulations to the new members of Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band. The band’s next performance will be the first competition of the year, in Dungannon, on 9 May, 2009.
Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band is to perform live in concert at the Ulster Hall in Belfast as part of the Ulster Hall’s re-opening celebrations, taking place throughout March.
Ulster Hall is one of the most famous venues in Northern Ireland and its history spans back to 1902. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band is delighted to be included in its reopening. The high publicity event is scheduled for Monday evening, 30 March and is titled Traditional Accoustic.
The concert is marketed to be an evening of traditional acoustic entertainment, bringing together some of the best local traditional music, which will include both the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band as well as the West Ocean String Quartet. The band will be featuring music from its highly successful Re:Charged album recently voted “Album of the Year” by pipes|drums, along with new music fresh to the concert stage. Sharing the stage will be West Ocean String Quartet which features pipes, cello, whistles, piano and keyboards, and is the unique musical blend of Neil Martin and Rod McVey. Their performances draw from both traditional sources and contemporary compositions from Neil Martin. The concert should be enjoyed by pipe band enthusiasts and traditional music lovers alike. Tickets for Traditional Accoustic cost £14 and can be purchased online at www.ulsterhall.co.ukor by the Box Office phone at 028 9033 4455.
For music lovers in the North West, the band will also be performing at the Guild Hall in Derry/Londonderry on Saturday 28 March as part of the first ever Foyle Piping Festival.
The festival features a few evenings of piping and drumming music, but it is the Foyle Piping Festival Grand Pipe Concert which jointly features both the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band and the St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band of Dublin.
The concert will mark the first time the two bands have played together on the concert stage and the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band are greatly looking forward to playing alongside the band, led by Pipe Major Terry Tully. The concert begins at 8pm, and tickets can be purchased for £15/£12 by phoning Mrs Gina Farren at 028 71375456, or e-mailing her at gm.farren@ulster.ac.uk.
The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band is pleased to welcome some new members to the band for the upcoming 2009 season. The band has gained a number of new pipers, and some new additions to the bass section. New pipers include Emmett Conway, Jonathan Lamberton, Ian Lyons and Conor McCallion from Northern Ireland and Australian piper Alisdair McLaren who is based in Glasgow.
The bass section will get a boost from the addition of Glenn Higgins and Jordan Bailie, both based in Northern Ireland. We’ll be updating our roster with new feature profiles soon, so check back for updates in the coming weeks. In the meantime, good luck to our new members. We’re glad to have you on board!
It was a happy new year for the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band when the band marked the start of 2009 by featuring in the pipes|drums 2008 New Year’s Honours Awards. The band received the award for Recording of the Year for its DVD release REWIND:REPLAY; the first time ever that a DVD has featured as winner of this honour.
The decision is made by an anonymous panel of the World’s top pipers and drummers. pipes|drums stated "this capture of FMM's 2007 Glasgow concert received the most votes from our panel by a wide margin." "It captures some classic FMM music, and some great history from the band," said a panelist. "Great to have the perspectives of band leaders, and others. This is a very complete package." Another panelist said that REWIND:REPLAY was the only recording that she repeatedly listened to since it was released. "As live recordings continue to become the norm for both bands and soloists, the DVD format may well become more popular. The 2008 FMM release is the current benchmark against which others will be measured." This was augmented a week later when pipes|drums announced that the band also won the 2008 People’s Choice Awards in the same category, highlighting that "REWIND:REPLAY is popular not only amongst top pipers and drummers but also amongst the thousands of people who voted through the website."
The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band ended the 2009 competition season on a high by winning the Cowal Championships in Dunoon, Scotland, on Saturday 29 August. The Cowal Championship marks the last of the five major championships, concluding the season and being the last decider of the coveted RSPBA Champion of Champions title for the best band overall throughout the year. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band won the Cowal title, this year a March, Strathspey & Reel event, playing its number 1 set, Highland Wedding, Blair Drummond & Pretty Marion.
The best solo pipers in the world gathered in Oban on Wednesday and Thursday the 26th and 27th of August for the Argyllshire Gathering, the first of two contests which make up the most important solo piping events of the year. During this time, the town of Oban is swarmed with hundreds of solo pipers, with the Senior Piobaireachd, Gold Medal and Silver Medal events for Piobaireachd being held on the Wednesday at various indoor venues and the light music being held outdoors on the Thursday.
It wasn’t long ago that the start of the 2009 pipe band season had just begun and now in no time it has come to a close, ending in Portrush on Saturday 22 August. The day marked the last competition of the year for the Northern Ireland pipe bands on the domestic front, and was held at the usual venue at Ramore Head in Portrush. For the Grade 1 bands, a March, Strathspey & Reel competition was the event of the day in preparation for the Cowal Gathering next weekend in Scotland, the last of the five major championships hosted by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association. The band drew its number one set, the Highland Wedding, Blair Drummond & Pretty Marion, as played at the World Pipe Band Championships the weekend previous. The band won the event with 4 firsts. The last competition of the year includes a special ceremony where all the World Champions from the weekend from the Northern Ireland branch of the RSPBA are last in to the march past in a special ceremony and it was once again special to see many titles throughout the grades come back to Northern Ireland. The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band will compete for the last time this year at the Cowal Championships in Dunoon, Scotland, on Saturday 29 August.
The BBC has announced that the 2009 World Pipe Band Championships will be broadcast live to viewers across the world for the first time ever this year. The World Pipe Band Championships have benefitted in recent years from BBC involvement which has seen increased coverage of the event, including a television programme with commentary, and video footage of the Grade 1 final made available online. However in the past, this footage has only been available to BBC viewers in the UK and has been produced after the event has passed.
This year, the BBC has expanded its coverage to include live footage which will be streamed as it happens on the day, and further, this will be available to any viewer around the world via the Internet. The inclusion of international viewers and introduction of live coverage is a great triumph for the event which is the most important occasion for pipe bands on the planet.
The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band has retained its title as European Champions on Saturday, 25 July, in Inverclyde, Scotland. It was another fantastic day for the band, winning its third major championship of the season in an incredible build up to the World Pipe Band Championships. 123 bands competed at the event which was held in a scenic location along the Clyde waterfront, with huge crowds filtering in to watch the bands, dancing and drum majors throughout the day. The weather provided an excellent platform for the makings of a good competition and the day was very warm and sunny, with a cool breeze off the water to take the edge off the heat. 
The Grade 1 event was another Medley competition. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band were second on out of 13 bands and drew its number one medley set for the first time at a major championship, which will be performed at the World Championship this year. The band had another solid run, and was pleased to get another chance to play its new medley this year. When the results were called, the band was elated to be named European Champions, keeping the title from last year’s big win and was more delighted still to learn that the points breakdown was two firsts in piping, first in ensemble and third in drumming, to win with a solid 6 points overall. Coincidentally, the band has won three out of three majors this year with the same strong points value. 
The event was a Medley competition, which saw many new selections debuted from different bands. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band had submitted a new Medley for this season, which was aired for the first time in Portadown last weekend.
The wedding ceremony took place at 1pm at Culnady Presbyterian Church and then the reception was held at Rosspark Hotel in Kells. The wedding party included Best Man 
It was a great day for FMM pipers Gordon McCready and 
The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band officially began the 2009 pipe band season at the County Tyrone Championships in Dungannon on Saturday 11 May at the Dungannon Rugby Club. For the past decade, the first contest of the year has been the Malahide Pipe Band Championships, until last year when the event sadly had to be cancelled at the last minute and a replacement contest was held in Banbridge. This year the event was held in the new location, providing an important first outing before the Scottish Championships the following weekend in Dumbarton, Scotland. The Grade 1 competition was a March, Strathspey & Reel event and the band drew its number two set, Pipe Major Tom McAllister, Susan MacLeod & Charlie’s Welcome. Conditions at the contest saw the weather shifting sporadically throughout the day from sunny spells to heavy downpours and strong winds, making conditions for all bands difficult to tune and play. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band still finished with two firsts in piping, narrowly missing the overall win on an ensemble preference only. The drum corps was however delighted to take home the prize for Best Bass Section. The next performance for the band will be at the Scottish Championships on Saturday 16 May, 2009.
The Saturday evening concert was part of the first ever Foyle Piping Festival which was organised in part by FMM piper 
The culminating set of the night saw the two bands unite to play together, with both pipe corps jointly playing the Highland Wedding with Field Marshal Montgomery’s Drum Corps and lead by 
Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band is to perform live in concert at the Ulster Hall in Belfast as part of the Ulster Hall’s re-opening celebrations, taking place throughout March.
For music lovers in the North West, the band will also be performing at the Guild Hall in Derry/Londonderry on Saturday 28 March as part of the first ever Foyle Piping Festival.
It was a happy new year for the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band when the band marked the start of 2009 by featuring in the 
