Each piper prepared a twenty minute solo spot and played from their own person repertoire, before
performing together as a finale. The quartet included many of the favourite sets from the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band’s recent RE:CHARGED CD, released last December.

80 years for FMM President Billy Maxwell

It was with respect, admiration, and thanks that members of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, along with family and friends, gathered together for a night of appreciation for Billy Maxwell on Friday 4 April, 2008.

Billy is well known to many as the first ever Pipe Major of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band in 1949 and one of the founding members from those formative years.

Billy led the band through its early beginnings and achieved great success in the early years. However Billy’s dedication has extended far beyond his role as Pipe Major and he has remained involved with the band for 59 years and still serves as Band President today.

The evening in honour of Billy, held at the Hydebank Social Club in Belfast, included band members from both past and present. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band performed as a tribute to Billy and past FMM members even formed a band for a short performance. Billy was presented with two framed photos of the band and a decanter and FMM piper Gordon McCready also presented a framed copy of the tune he composed especially for him.

Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band would like to congratulate Billy on his 80th birthday and most importantly, to thank him for a lifetime of service to the band. Billy’s enthusiasm and dedication over 59
years has touched countless individuals, who will always think of P/M Billy Maxwell as defining of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band.

FMMPB Adds Banbridge to Competition Schedule

Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band was disappointed to learn of the last minute cancelation of the annual pipe band competition in Malahide, County Dublin.

For the past decade, the band had used Malahide as a strategic first run for the season, due to its timely proximity to the Scottish Pipe Band Championships the following weekend.

The Country Down section has quickly put together another contest to replace Malahide, which will take place outdoors in Banbridge on the 17th of May. The contest will be for all grades and drum majors and
will provide many bands with the vital first run out.

Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band is happy to compete and have updated their competition schedule to include this change.

Congratulations to FMM Drummer Philip Bell
 

Congratulations are extended to Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band drummer Philip Bell, who was married last Saturday 22 March, 2008.

Philip has been a member of FMM’s drum corps for 8 years, playing under both Andy Scullion and Keith Orr, and has been a part of the team that has won four World Championships amongst numerous other titles. A keen solo competitor, Philip has on two occasions finished amongst the top 12 drummers at the World Drumming Solos and is a regular on the Irish solo scene. 

He and his wife Heather Smith were married at Dromara Presbyterian Church, with a reception held afterwards at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle, Co. Down. Their wedding party integrated familiar figures from the pipe band scene, including former FMM member Glen Cupples as groomsman and wedding piper, and drummer Trevor Smith as best man, also Heather’s brother. Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Bell from the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band.

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FMM Pipers Sweep Seven Towers Solos

Pipers from the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band came out on top at the Seven Towers Solo Championships in Ballymena, County Antrim last Saturday.

The contest was held at Ballee High School and was the first solo contest of the Northern Ireland solo season. With over 100 entries, the event was well attended, especially given its early start in the year. It was a fantastic day for Kris Coyle who finished top of the pack to win the Senior Piping, especially given that the event was his first ever senior contest after finishing first in the Intermediate Piping at the All Ireland Solos last September.

Runner up was Jonathan Greenlees, with third place going to Andrew Carlisle. Congratulations to Kris on his win and to all the pipers from FMM on taking the top three places.

Alastair Dunn Does Well in the Big Apple

FMM Pipe Sergeant Alastair Dunn did well at the Metro Cup on 16 February, 2008 held in New York, USA. The 12 competitor invitation-only event has grown greatly in stature since it first began, and now attracts top players from across the world. The competition format includes a Piobaireachd competition, along with a medley of a competitor’s own choice as an unusual supplement of the standard March, Strathspey & Reel and/or Hornpipe & Jig solo competition format. With gold medalists and Glenfiddich champions on the order of play, Alastair’s results are excellent. He finished 4th in the Piobaireachd, playing “My King had Landed in Moidart” and his own choice medley saw him gain 2nd place.

Far from the serious competition was another event, a “You Be The Judge” entertainment competition, where Alastair and his wife Margaret joined company as a duet to sway the crowd vote in their favour, coming out on top of other entertaining double teams to make it a very successful trip abroad.

Fantastic Reviews for FMM’s RE:CHARGED

FMM’s RE:CHARGED album, recorded live last August and released just before the New Year, has received tremendous reviews and feedback from critics and fans across the world. The album was named pipes|drums 2007 Pipe Band Recording of the Year, and when recently reviewed for pipes|drums by esteemed reedmaker and judge Jamie Troy, received the full “five gracenotes” for superb quality; a perfect score!Jamie calls Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band “one of the most exciting, consistent and certainly the most dominant pipe band in recent years.” He writes that “the blending of the drones and tuning of the chanters is just overwhelming. The pipe sound is extremely full, well-balanced and powerful,” and that “the style, thought and refined technique in each tune is superb.” Commenting on Keith Orr’s drum corps, he comments on the “pristine drum salute and crisp drum sound, ”and notes that “the drum corps provides great accompaniment with their snappy drum scores and smartly used mid-section.”

He continues, “Superlatives can only begin to convey what this band has achieved over the last few years. FMM is extremely good at presenting tunes in a refined manner, never swaying from the reason we're all listening in the first place: good music. No gimmicks here folks; this is pure championship pipe band from start to finish.”

“Richard has tuning down to a science, and to keep this sound for an entire concert is, in my mind, as close to perfect as it gets.”  He finishes, “I would suggest pulling up your favourite chair in front your stereo system, grab a Guinness, sit back and drink in the experience of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band at their very best.”

“As close to perfect as it gets,” is the reason why RE:CHARGED is being celebrated in pipe band circles across the world. To read the full review, please follow the link, reproduced with the kind permission of pipes|drums.

Click here to read the full review.

Dunn And Carlisle in Good Form in Limerick

FMM pipers Alastair Dunn and Andrew Carlisle were in good form on 2 February, 2008, when they took the top prizes in Limerick at the 11th annual Irish Piobaireachd Society Championships.

23 pipers were in contention, where Alastair Dunn won the Former Winners Piobaireachd with “McNab’s Salute” and Andrew Carlisle finishing in third place. Andrew came out on top of the Former Winners March Strathspey & Reel event with Alastair finishing a close second, and in the end was named the overall winner and recipient of the Bratach De Paor. Congratulations to both pipers from the band.

Andrew Carlisle Wins Gordon Duncan Memorial

Piper Andrew Carlisle was the first FMM solo prize winner of 2008, becoming the second ever winner of the Gordon Duncan Memorial Invitational Solo Piping Competition.

The event was held on 26 January, 2008 at the Central Hotel in Glasgow in conjunction with Celtic Connections and of course was in honour of the late Gordon Duncan.

The contest format consists of a Breton, Scottish and Irish section, in which three players each from Brittany, Scotland and Ireland represented their countries to compete for the overall. The winning piper not only has to be the best in his own familiar discipline, but has to be the best across all three musical genres to win.

Andrew not only came first in the Irish section, but he finished second in the Scottish March, Strathspey & Reel event and high enough with his Breton set to secure the win.

Congratulations to Andrew for coming out on top above some of the best solo pipers around.

FMM Ready For 2008

After a busy and successful 2007 for Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, the band is happy to announce its Schedule of events for 2008. 2007 marked one of the most memorable seasons for the band, with another World Championship title, becoming RSPBA Champion of Champions once again, and producing RE:CHARGED, the band’s most recent live album. 

As 2008 approached, FMMPB received the pipes|drums 2007 New Year’s Honours for both “Band of The Year,” as well as RE:CHARGED being named “Pipe Band Recording of the Year.” pipes|drums reported that Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band was “the unanimous choice of every one of our 12 panelists, Field Marshal captured its sixth World Championship and another Champion of Champions title, while staging the Glasgow concert in August, cutting a live record, and setting yet another benchmark for pipe-section tone.” They also noted a few comments from their panel which included, "Fantastic consistency, fantastic performance at the World's and a great concert!" "The class of the World's," "Winning majors with ease. Sounded like a higher-grade band than other prize winners at British and European. Concert, sponsorship, new uniforms, CD and DVD, and that great, great bagpipe sound. Brilliant." "Dominant!" "The best competing band, full stop."

Click here to view the full award.

2008 will once again see Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band compete in all five major championships, as well as six minor contests on the Northern Ireland competition circuit. Although a quieter season than last, eleven contests and the upcoming release of the RE:CHARGED DVD will see the band kept as busy as ever as they prepare for May, and ultimately for August, when they will once again defend their World title in Glasgow.

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