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| 25th October - Terrific showing by Boghall drummers at World Solo Drumming |
Boghall's drummers delivered great performances and terrific results
in the pressure-cooker that is the annual World Solo Drumming Championship
in Glasgow. In particular, the young drummers of the band made a particularly
big impact winning two of the three Juvenile sections and
featuring throughout the prize lists.
The headline achievements of the day were created by Steven Shedden
who won the world title for Juvenile section 2 and Craig Brown who
captured the world title for Juvenile section 3 (both pictured). Steven's
victory comes after a run of second places in previous years and Craig's
adds to the world titles he won in 2004, 2005 and 2007 - giving him a "full house"
of titles in all of the Juvenile sections.A special mention should also go to Billy Archibald who tied for 1st place with Steven and a drummer from Gransha in Juvenile section 2, yet was unlucky to finish in 3rd place based on the adjudicator's countback. As well as the strong showing from the young guns, Leading Drummer Gordon Brown had his annual challenge at the sharp end for the adult title. Despite winning his semi-final and the MSR leg of the adult final, Gordon had to be content with a 4th overall in the final - still a great result. In total, 25% of the prizes up for grabs on the day went to Boghall drummers, an incredible haul of prizes for drummers from one band. In addition to that 10 drummers from the band played in the finals of their events, with a couple of near misses in the qualifying events from Christie McKenna and Gavin Orr in particular. A special thank you also goes out to the pipers who made themselves available across all the events throughout the grueling day. Their support and willingness to muck in helps all our drummers perform to the best of their abilities on the day. Well done to all who competed! |
| 3-7th September - Aventicum Musical Parade, Switzerland |
The Grade 1 band rounded off their season with an appearance at the sell-out Aventicum
Musical Parade in Avenches, Switzerland. The international military music festival's program was spectacular
and welcomed the participation of some of the highest ranking marching bands from England, Scotland,
Sweden and Switzerland.  Among the bands were The Band of the Irish Guards, the Edinburgh Tattoo Highland Ceilidh Dancers, the Swiss music and choreography group "Showband.ch" and the Top Secret Drum Corps from Basel. Our appearance at the event marked the first involvement of any pipe band. The Thursday rehersal for the tattoo was challenging due to the bucketing rain but everyone managed to maintain their spirits and concentration to get the job done. Friday was a total contrast with all-day 30 degree heat and blistering sun. Fortunately the band guys had some time on the Friday to take advantage of the weather and visit one or two of Avenches lovely cafes! Both tattoo performances were incredibly well received by the 5,000 strong audience each night, and the celebrations lasted well into the small hours each night. It was a privilege to be invited to perform at this prestigeous event and everyone at the band would like to thank Michel Doleres and his entire team for their hospitality, friendliness and professionalism. Definitely a trip for the memory books.... |
| 30th August 2008 - Cowal |
| The last championship of the season held mixed fortunes for the bands with the Novice unfortunately
failing to make the final for the first time in a few contests. The Juvenile band had a very good performance
that was marred by one or two unfortunate errors resulting in a 5th place overall. The Juvenile drummers, however,
continued their improved results by winning the drumming prize in their grade. The Grade 1 band finished off their season with a good performance, coming in 4th place overall in the top grade, rounding off a solid season for the band. The Grade 1 performance was videoed by STV cameras that were there on the day. This footage is online and can be found at the STV site. In the Champion of Champion tables, the bands finished in the following positions:
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| 23rd August 2008 - Melrose |
| Both Juvenile bands turned out at the Lothian & Borders contest at Melrose competing
against the local bands, amongst others Seafield & District and George Watson's college. Both
bands played well given the proximity to the World Championship and the preparation that entailed, however
they couldn't quite make the top step on the podium (ok the Olympics is getting the better of me here.....) The results were
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| 16th August 2008 - World Pipe Band Championship, Glasgow |
| The highlight of the pipe band year brought significant success to the three Boghall bands today with
all bands featuring well in the prizes. First up, the Novice band captured a great 6th place in the N/J competition which follows on from their similar placing at the British Championship earlier in the year. This is a great result for the kids and is due reward for their hard work and practice and also for all the tutors involved in teaching them. 
The Juvenile band came in 5th place overall in a well contested Juvenile grade and should be pleased with their efforts in a
very competitive contest. They can build upon the experience of this year and look to season 2009 with confidence.The best result of the day amongst the Boghall the bands was the 4th place achieved by the Grade 1 band with two cracking performances in the final. 3rd place in the MSR and 6th place in the medley resulted in their 4th place overall, only missing a top 3 spot overall by 3 points. A terrific result for the guys and just reward for the high quality performances delivered by the band up to this point in the season. The band's performances will feature in the BBC Scotland TV program of the event, due for broadcast on Sunday 7th September on BBC1 Scotland. Previews of the coverage can be seen now at the BBC website. Congratulations to Ross, Gordon and all the guys in the band for a great result. The next championship for the bands will be the Cowal Championship in Dunoon in two weeks time, with the Juveniles turning out at the Melrose contest on Sat 23rd August. |
| 9th August 2008 - North Berwick |
Torrential rain in the morning threatened to put a dampener on the whole day and presented both
the Juvenile bands with a stiff challenge. Both bands coped admirably well with the conditions and achieved
a good set of results in their respective grades:
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| 26th July 2008 - European Championship, Lisburn |
There was mixed success at the Euro's in Northern Ireland this weekend on (whisper it) another
rain-free day. The weather in Lisburn was extremely hot and gave the bands another break from the
soggy experience that was the 2007 season.
The Novice Juveniles just missed out on a top 6 prize, coming in 7th place overall in the Novice Juvenile
contest. With a 3rd and a 10th place for piping, a 5th for drumming and 6th for ensemble the placings
were rather erratic, however they are pleased with yet another performance of good quality.The Juveniles delivered a better quality performance than the one at Birmingham and achieved a 3rd place finish overall. With a 2nd and 3rd for piping, the pipe corps are beginning to show the form that they have promised. A 3rd in drumming and 4th for ensemble completed their marks for the day. Finally the Grade 1 band gave another top drawer MSR performance that yeilded 4th place overall in a very strong competition, won by Ulster's Field Marhsal Montgomery. Wile the result was ultimately a tad disappointing, the band are still delighted with the high quality playing from all sections. We hope the band will steadily climb the prize list in the competitions to come. Next stop, the branch championships at North Berwick on the 9th August. We hope to see you there. |
| 28th June 2008 - British Championship, Birmingham |
The 3 bands completed a long trek to Birmingham for the 2008 British Championship this
weekend with some success and frustrating results in equal measure.
The Novice Juveniles achieved their first top 6 prize in quite some time coming in 6th
place in their grade. P/M Alvis Kerr was delighted about the performances, both in the qualifier
and in the final, saying it was the first time in a while they had delivered their best performance
on the competition field. A great result for the kidsThe Juvenile drum corps had a fantiastic result in their grade, winning the compeition in the face of the usual stiff competition. With 8 side drummers, they performed extremely well and should be proud of their achievement. This result brightened up the overall result for the Juveniles where they came in 4th place behind some very good performances. Last but not least, the Grade 1 band had a very frustrating day. They gave a wonderful performance in the MSR competition, probably delivering one of their best runs in recent memory. Despite the quality of their performance, they were untimately only awarded 5th place which was rather surprising and disappointing in equal measure. Congratulations go to the St Lawrence O'Toole band who won their second championship of the season and are building a real head of steam up for the critical competitions in August. The bands now have a well earned break over the summer and return to action at the end of June for the Euro's at Lisburn. |
| 14th June 2008, Innerleithen |
| The Juvenile band took the opportunity to duck out of the traditional fundraising gala day routine to travel
to the L&B competition at Innerleithen. After two great performances they were ultimately disappointed to come
in 2nd place in both the Grade 3 and Grade 2 competitions, such was the quality of their performances. Though the result stung a bit, these performances show just what the band is capable of and the kids will take a lot of strength from this. More of the same in the competitions to follow will hopefully see more 1st places than 2nds. |
| 31st May 2008, Bathgate Highland Games |
| Mixed fortunes for the bands at the local event, played in blistering sunshine - a rare event for this competition.
The Novice band achieved 5th place in the Novice competition, and also a good 6th place in Grade 3 in front of many adult
bands. The Grade 1 band played well but were beaten by a good performance by Strathclyde Police on the day. The stars of the day however were the Juvenile band, winning the Grade 3 competition and also coming in 6th place in the Grade 2 competition - a great couple of results and just reward for the hard work put in by all. |
| 24th May 2008, Scottish Championships, Dumbarton |
| A reasonable start to the 2008 major championships, with all 3 bands playing well. The Novice Juvenile band
qualified well for the final, coming in 2nd in their heat. They were not able to maintain that form in
the final,just missing the prize list in 7th place overall - a good result nonetheless. The Juveniles had a solid start to the season coming in 3rd overall in Juvenile, though Ian and his team will hope to climb the prize list in competitions to follow. Last but not least, the Grade 1 band had a fairly solid start to their season coming in 5th in Grade 1, though like the Juveniles, they will hope for an improvement in their results in the championships later in the year. |
| 10th May 2008, Dunbar - Juvenile bands begin outdoor season with a bang |
| Both Juvenile bands were in action in Dunbar at the start to the 2008 outdoor season with both recording
cracking results. With the Grade 1 band "keeping their powder dry" until the Scottish Championship, it was up to
the younger Boghall contingent on the day. The Novice band, featuring a number of new "learner" piper and drummers in the ranks, came 2nd in a field of 10 bands. Their results of 2nd for both piping and drumming shows a consistency in both disciplines and a great boost for all. Not to be outdone, the Juvenile band went one better in their grade, winning the Juvenile competition and beating their local, friendly rivals George Watson's College into 2nd place. Again both piping and drumming featured strongly with the pipers winning and the drummers coming in 2nd. Great to see both young Lothian & Borders bands spurring each other on to greater quality performances. A great start to the season from the young band members and an indication of the hard work done by all over the hard winter's practices. Next stop, the Scottish Championship at Dumbarton in 2 weeks time. Fingers crossed for great performances and even better results from all 3 bands. |
| April 2008 - Juveniles perform at Scottish Parliament |
The Juvenile band gave their first full band performance of the season on Tuesday
22nd April under the guidance of Pipe Major Ian Bowden. They played at the Scottish
Parliment for the official opening of the World Orienteering Championships held in Edinburgh.
The band gave a fine performance playing traditional scottish tunes
and their new medley to an audience from as far away as China, Poland,
Estonia, Latvia, Turkey, France and the USA.This was a good introduction to the new members of the band, pipers Ross, Leona, Gemma, Craig, Kenneth, Ross and drummers David and Robb. P/M Ian Bowden said "The band played well and it was a smashing social event just before the season starts". He also thanked Mary Halcrow and the committee on the band's smart appearance and their help in getting the band to the Parliment at such short notice. The band now look forward to the new season after good results at Peebles Mini Band's competition and playing so well at such a prestigious venue. |
| April 2008 - Lothian & Borders Mini Indoors |
The Juvenile bands were in action at the L&B indoor competition in Peebles in the
precursor to the season. As usual, both bands performed well and featured well in the prize
list:
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| February 2008 - Novice Juvenile Band Camp |
| A group of 10 -16 year old Novice Juvenile Pipers and Drummers from Boghall and Bathgate
Caledonia Pipe Band headed off to Scottish Scout Headquarters at Fordell Firs in Fife on 23rd
February to spend a weekend of music and fun. This was the first time the Band had ever undertaken such a venture and the 29 young band members were given the opportunity to improve their piping and drumming skills under the expert of tuition of pipe major Alvis Kerr and drumming instructor Tom Brown. They undertook 5 tutorials which included one to one, mini bands and full band classes with the assistance of the head tutors and additional pipers Malcolm Swan and Alex McAllister and Grade 1 drummers Craig Brown and Alan Irvine. 
All the musicians had the chance to bring along other instruments
and much fun was had entertaining the group with various performances
on pipes, drums, guitars and trombones resulting in a different take
on traditional music being created.The band also played at the “Beating the Flag“ ceremony for a group of Scouts also visiting the centre. This was well received by the Scouts who were impressed by the accomplished playing from such a young band. During the weekend they also hand the chance to take part in outdoor activities such as archery, caving and rock climbing under the guidance of the Scout Instructors who encouraged them to develop their teambuilding skills and to use their initiative and determination in some personally challenging tasks. This event was a huge success due to the co-operation and assistance of West Lothian Area Scout Commissioner Douglas Horn, Sharon Boyle, Beth Macdonald and Glenn Miller (whose children all play in the band). The Band would like to thank all those involved in this unique event. It is hoped that this extra tuition and team building will help bring the Novice Band continued success in the forthcoming Pipe Band Competition Season and that the music weekend will be repeated in the near future. |
| January 2008 - Celtic Connections |
The Grade 1 band appeared at the 2008 Celtic Connections Piping
Concert, sharing the bill with the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland.
The event was attended by probably the largest audience for this event
in the Glasgow Royal Concert hall providing a fantastic atmosphere. Together, both
bands provided a great afternoon's entertainment with some top quality
piping and drumming on display, particularly for so early in the season.
Boghall's repertoire included a quartette performance from P/S Donald
Macleod, Ross Harvey, Andrew Ray and Johnathon Simpson and the, now
traditional, Donald & Robert Gray smallpipe set that is always
well received by audiences. The event was also notable as Craig Sturrock's
and Paul Brown's first appearance in the Grade 1 band since their
promotion from the ranks of the Juvenile band.Both Boghall's and the NYPB's performances were captured by the BBC Scotland and were broadcast in the following weeks. Some images of the band on stage at the concert can be found at the following link. |
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