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| 13th December - Boghall drummers and Andante take 1st & 2nd in New Zealand |
| Two of Boghall & Bathgate's drummers took the top two places in the New Zealand National Solo Drumming
Championship on Saturday 12th December. Gleren Meneghin took top spot with Scott Birrell taking 2nd place with both drummers playing on Andante Reactor snare drums. The results were:
Hearty congratulations to our guys on the great results. In addition to this, Scott, who is currently employed as a highland drumming instructor in Invercargill, NZ, has begun to see the fruits of his work with the City of Invercargill comprehesively winning the Grade 2 Victoria Square contest on the 5th December. Great work Scotty. Click here for more details. We all look forward to seeing Scott and Gleren back on these shores during the summer. |
| 5th December - Craigmount Solo Piping and Drumming |
The solo competition held by Craigmount High School Pipe Band has become an annual event for the
band's younger members. This year saw the highest number of Boghall entries ever. Once again, the strength of the band's youth development programme was clear to see everyone was on top form, impressing judges and spectators with the quality of music being played. For some, it was their first solo competition and they all gave performances to be proud of, showing that they have the potential for their names to be joining those of older members on the trophies. The more experienced members all showed big improvements from previous performances and also proved that there is still a lot more to come from Boghall's solo players. The piping results were:
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| 12th November - Boghall Band Nominated for Band of the Year |
| We have been fortunate enough to be nominated for the Pipe Band of the Year, as part of the
MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2009. This is the second time the organisation has been nominated
so we'd really like all our friends, family and supporters to get on-line and vote for the band. Vote now by clicking here |
| 7th November - More Drumming Success |
More success for Boghall drummers around the globe. This time it was Gleren Meneghin's turn to
impress the judges during his sabbatical in Australia. Gleren had a couple of fine results in the solo
drumming the New South Wales State competition.In the Hornpipe and Jig section, he placed 1st and in the March, Strathspey and Reel section he placed 2nd. In the overall reckoning, he ended up in 2nd place with Keith Tombs winning the overall title. Congratulations to both Gleren and Keith ......and let's hope Gleren is using enough sun screen! |
| 24th October - World Solo Drumming |
 Another
year, another World Solo Drumming competition with Boghall drummers
to the fore. Craig Brown won the Juvenile section 3 event yet again,
bringing him his 5th world title in 6 years, an absolutely outstanding
achievement. Also in section 3, Euan MacAllister ended the day in
4th place for another great result.In the adult section, Leading Drummer Gordon Brown finished up in 3rd place overall after placing 4th equal in the MSR final and winning the Hornpipe & Jig final. Again, another great showing at the drumming highlight of the year. Well done to all who featured in the prize lists and the other Boghall drummers who just missed out on prizes on the day. Photographs courtesy of Andante Percussion Ltd. |
| 10th October - Internal Solo Drumming, Howden Park Centre, Livingston |
The band held its first internal solo drumming competition for the Juvenile members of the
band. The event, sponsored by Andante Percussion, TG Drumming Supplies and SCS Building Services Ltd,
proved very successful with great performances from all the young drummers in the organisation. This should help prepare the side drummers in particular for their performances at the World Solo Drumming Championship in Glasgow on the 24th October. This event was the band's first foray into holding an internal compeition. Such was its success we will likely be repeat the event next year, possibly expanding it into solo piping also. A summary of the results on the day: Section 1 - Practice Pad (2 or 4 Part March) - The Tom Brown Trophy
The band would like to say particular thanks to: |
| 29th August - Cowal Championship, Dunoon |
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| 22nd August - More Juvenile Success at Melrose |
| As the season gradually comes to a close, both Juvenile bands took in the Melrose competition
in nice, late summer sun. Bot bands again did very well with the Novice band coming in 3rd place, the
Juvenile band won the grade 3 competition and came in 3rd in grade 2. Another great set of results by
the young people in the organisation and more trophies to clean! All bands are out next at the last championship of the year at Dunoon on the 29th August. |
| 15th August - Worlds Round Up |
Another year, another Worlds goes by with more Boghall names to be engraced on trophies. All three bands performed
admirably on the day and came away with a great set of results.
Firstly, the Novice Juvenile band qualified strongly for the final, coming 1st in their heat. Ultimately they finished
overall in 9th place in the grade which, given their target was to qualify for the final, they can be happy and proud of
their day's work.The Juvenile band continued their fine form this year, giving a wonderful performance of their competition MSR. Despite ending up one equal points with George Watson's College, trading 1st and 2nd places from the adjudicators, they had to settle for 2nd place overall on an ensemble preference. Well done to everyone in the band and also well done to everyone at the Watson's on their fine win.  On a more positive mote, the Juvenile drum corps won their discipline and can now call themselves World Champions! This is a fine effort by the drummers and is recognition of the maturity they have brought to their playing this year. A special thanks to Lewis Thorpe who has helped out a great deal over the past few months with the Juvenile bass section. His efforts really have made a big difference to the kids. You can hear the Juvenile performance on YouTube at this link. Last but not least, the Grade 1 band eventually found their form this year and stuck two great performances on the board in the Grade 1 final. The band placed 6th in both MSR and Medley rounds, coming in 6th overall which, given their indifferent form over the year, is a fine result. Excerpts from both performances can be found on the BBC website. |
| 8th August - North Berwick Results |
| All the Boghall bands competed at the Lothian and Borders branch championship at North Berwick and
came away with a great set of results. Firstly the Novice band played very well and won 2nd place in their
Grade. This marks continued improvement throughout the year and is nice to see their dedicated practice playing dividends.
It is also heartening for Alvis, Tom, Alec and the other tutors of the band seeing them make progress. This organisation's superstars of the year, the Juvenile band, gave a couple of solid perfomances in the Juvenile and Grade 2 competitions. This time, however, in the Juvenile grade they had to be content with 3rd place behind Scotia Glenville and locals George Watson's College though the contest was extremely tight with all three bands equal on 8 point, enemble preference splitting the bands. In the Grade 2 contest, they again had to be content with 3rd place though they did beat a number of adult Grade 2 bands with this. Another good day for the "Juves". Last but not least, the grade 1 band got back to winning ways with a top level performance in the Medley competition landing 1st place. The band were relieved to resolve the issues that given them problems at the last championship and were absolutely delighted with the quality of their performance, setting them up nicely for the World Championship on Saturday. Their performance from North Berwick can be viewed here. The bands will next appear at the World Pipe Band Championship at Glasgow Green on the 15th August and are due to play at the following times:
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| 25th July - Juveniles Make It Two In A Row |
| The Juvenile band continued their winning form by taking the European title on the shores of the Clyde in Gourouck.
In fine weather, they again delivered an impressive March, Strathspey and Reel underlining the high standard that the
Juvenile grade is producing these days. This win in particular marked another
significant achievement, with two first places for piping and also first prize for drumming. A fantastic result for
Ian and the guys showing that hard work really does pay off. This sets the scene nicely in the Juvenile grade with
the World Championship just around the corner, adding the Canadian might of the Robert Malcolm Memorial Juvenile band
from Vancouver to the intense competition from George Watson's College. Look out for a great competition in Glasgow. The Novice band were unlucky not to make the final of the N/J competition, coming in 7th place in their heat despite being placed in 4th and 6th place by the two judges. Finally, the Grade 1 band again came in a disappointing 6th place, though since the band did have some problems with the steadiness of their drones on the day there were no real complaints. Congratulations to Field Marshal Montgomery pipe band from Northern Ireland who won the Grade 1 competition, making it 3 out of 3 championships for them this year so far. Hopefully the Boghall can get the show back on the road to challenge at the World Championship in a few weeks time. Away from the bands, a few Grade 1 pipers have had significant solo success around the games in the past few weeks. In the under 18 competitions David Shedden has amassed a fair few prizes including 2nd in the Piobaireachd, 3rd in the March, 2nd in the Strathspey and Reel and overall winner at Rosneath on the 20th July, 2nd in the Piobaireachd and a 1st in the MSR at Tobermory on the 24th July, and 1st in the Piobaireachd, 3rd in the March and 3rd in the MSR at Killin on July 30th. Graham Drummond also enjoyed success in the under 18's at Killin winning the March, the Strathspey and Reel and the Jig competitions. Greig Wilson placed 4th in the Strathspey and Reel and 3rd in the Jigs in the adult competitions at Cupar on the 6th July. A great set of results from the pipers in the band. Finally, young Ross Miller from the Juvenile band had a rewarding week as he completed his first tour of the games with two 1sts at St Andrews, two 2nds at Killin, 4th at Newtonmore, 2nd at Morar and 3rd at the Mallaig games. Quite a haul! The bands will next appear at the branch championship at North Berwick on the 8th August. |
| 27th June - Boghall Juvenile band, British Champions 2009 |
The Boghall Juvenile band continued their fabulous run of form today by winning the British Championship
in Juvenile grade - the first championship of Ian Bowden's tenure as Pipe Major of the band.
 In another tightly
contested event, they won by an ensenble preference over George Watson's College. Everyone who heard the event
commented on the incredibly high standard of playing by both bands, and that alone was a privilege to experience.
An absolutely cracking result for the girls and boys in the band and rich reward for the huge effort that they
have put in over the past 4 weeks to get their MSR up to standard they wanted. A big well done to Ian and all the guys
for this result - the first of many we hope!The Novice band were unlucky to be pipped by one point into 7th place in their grade, just missing out in the prizes, which we're sure they'll remedy in the next competition. Rounding off the bands, the Grade 1 band came in a disappointing 6th place, despite a very high quality performance on the day that just wasn't to the judges taste. A bitterly dissapointing day for senior band however if they maintain the high standards of this event, the results should eventually come their way way. The bands now take a break for the summer. We'll all be back in time for the European's at Inverclyde at the end of July. Let's hope for some sun! |
| 13th June - Juveniles trade places at Innerleithen |
| More progress today for the Juvenile band at Innerliethen competition where they traded places
with George Watson's College continuing their closeley contested season. This time, the Boghall boys (and girls) won the Grade 3 medley competition with the Watson's taking 2nd place, however the Watson's won the Grade 2 MSR competition with Boghall coming in 2nd. It's great to see both bands pushing each other on to greater standards and can only be good for the health of the Lothian & Borders Branch. |
| 30th May - Local success at Bathgate Highland Games |
| Blistering sunshine greeted the bands for the second year running at the local competition. The day begun for the
Juvenile band when they piped the current and past games cheiftans through the town centre to the competition venue in
Meadow Park - the start of an extremely hectic day for the bands. The Novice band performed both in the Novice grade and "up" into Grade 3 and performed admirably in both, winning some prizes in each competition. The Juvenile band put in two top class performances in Grade 3 and 2, coming in 2nd place and 3rd place respectively, trading places with local Lothian & Borders competitiors George Watson's College. Bringing up the rear, the senior band rounded the day off by winning the grade 1 competition capping a successful day for the organisation as a whole. The day was concluded as all 3 bands combined to parade their trophies through the town at the end of the day's proceedings, before retiring to soothe sunburned arms and faces! Hopefully the cracking weather will remain as the bands enter their traditional local "gala-days" and beyond into the Euros in Northern Ireland at the end of June. |
| 16th May - Mixed day at the Scottish Championship |
| The bands had a mixed day at the Scottish Championship in Dumbarton with a combination of
disappointing performances and results alike. The band of the day was the Juvenile band who placed second in the Juvenile grade after a solid performance though more is yet to come from the band in terms of quality. A good solid day from the Juveniles. The Novice band had some success also, continuing the good habit of qualifying for the Novice Juvenile final. Unfortunately they didn't place in the top six, however the development of the kids is of more importance than outright results in the Novice band since there is a regular influx of learners into this band. Last but not least, the Grade 1 band had a reasonable day coming in 5th place int he grade 1 contest, however realistically the band did not perform to the high standards that they have maintained over the past 3 years or so. This was due to moisture problems with drones which caused some problems in the competition performance. That said, this is a problem easily fixed amd while disappointed with the performance, the band are optimistic that this will be a small blip in their quest to climb the prizelist this year. |
| 9th May - Drookit' at Dunbar |
| Both Juvenile bands were in action at the first outdoor competition of the season at a
wet, windy and wild Dunbar on the Scottish east coast on Saturday. The weather provided
a challenging environment for the bands yet the Boghall bands gave a good account of themselves. Firstly the Novice band came in 5th place in the N/J competition and also 3rd place "playing up" in the Juvenile contest. The Juvenile band came in 2nd place in the Juvenile competition and 5th "playing up" in the Grade 2 contest. A solid start to the outdoors from both bands who are now trying to thaw out the fingers in preparation for the Scottish Championships in Dumbarton in a week where we hope to see all 3 bands featuring in the prizes. |
| 25th April - Success at Lothian and Borders Branch Indoors |
Both Juvenile bands were in action at the branch indoor competition
on Saturday along with many performances from bandsfolk in the solo
competitions. In a day crammed with events there was much success
to report from the Boghall contingent.
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| 2nd April - Edinburgh Airport, Pipes and Drums Everest Step Challenge |
On Friday the 20th March, the Novice Juvenile Band attempted to step
the height of Mt. Everest (29,028 feet/steps) in the departure area of Edinburgh Airport, the aim being to step the
summit height in the quickest time possible on a gym step machine.
Beginning at 3pm, the band also performed at regular intervals throughout the
challenge outside the main terminal building to great response and comments from
the travelling public and airport staff.
An emormous thank you and heartfelt appreciation to the following:
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| 21st March - More Updates from the Solos |
More acivity on the solo scene for Boghall bandsfolk this weekend. Tenor drummer Lewis Thorpe won
first place at the Mid Argyll Music Festival in Lochgiplhead on Saturday, winning the William McIver Shield.
Lewis, a native of Lochgilphead, has recently joined the Boghall grade 1 drum corps and is travelling the long road to practices in West Lothian
with his father - remarkable committment that will stand him in good stead for the competition season. |
| 14th March - Final 6 Nations Game |
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| 8th March - Graham Drummond continues his winning streak |
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| 7th March - Scott Birrell wins International Connection Drumming |
Grade 1 drummer, Scott Birrel won the inaugural drumming competition held in Christchurch, New Zealand today.
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| 28th February - Scotland v Italy, Murrayfield |
The Grade 1 band took part in the pre-match entertainment for the Scotland v Italy 6 Nations match
at Murrayfield on Saturday.The band, along with Denny & Dunipace, Lothian & Borders Police, Strathclyde Police and
Tayside Police, have supported Scottish Rugby for last 3 years and perform on the pitch prior to the match
kick off. |
| 21st February - Graham Drummond Piper Of The Day At Strathclyde Police Solos |
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| 16th February - David Shedden Piper Of The Day At National Piping Centre |
Boghall's new young breed of pipers featured prominently in the
solo piping competition at the National Piping Centre in Glasgow.
|
2008 News Archive |
2007 News Archive |
2006 News Archive |
2005 News Archive |
2004 News Archive |
2003 News Archive |
This was real hard luck for the Juves and a bit of a hard lesson
to take after going into the competition with high hopes. That said,
they can feel rightly proud of their successes this year and should
look forward to another exciting and challenging year in 2010 where
we hope they can lift more titles. Well done to George Watson's
College on their success this year and we hope that both bands continue
to push each other and continue to improve on their already terrific
standard of play.
The Band concluded their involvement in the 6 Nations test series at Murrayfield when Scotland played host to
Ireland on Saturday. Unfortunately Scotland came off second best, losing a closely fought match 15-22. The band are
pictured here playing to a capacity stadium at the national anthems with the other pipe bands that make up the "Murrayfield Pipes and Drums".
Graham Drummond had yet more success in solo piping competition
recently. This time representing his school, The Edinburgh Academy,
he won the 18yrs and under event at the George Watson School's Invitational
competition in Edinburgh.
From a field of eight drummers, Scott
came through and took the top prize with 2006 World Solo Drumming Champion Stephen McWhirter 2nd and Glenn Kvidahl from the LA Scots 3rd.
Thankfully the weather was fairly benign and the guys were able to actually feel their fingers when playing this time around,
as well as staying dry throughout the day - from experience, not something that can always be counted on!
Yet another terrific day at the solos for the Boghall pipers
at the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band solo event in Glasgow.
It was
Graham Drummond this time around who won the overall under 18 title
for the day with 1st place in the under 18 March, 2nd place in the
under 18 Piobaireachd, 5th in the Jig and 6th in the Strathspey
and reel competitions.
A set of small pipes was Grahams reward for a very successful day.
New recruit to the Grade 1 band, David Shedden won the Junior Piobaireachd
contest, was second in the MSR and 3rd in the Jig contest to win
the overall title on the day. David, son of Gold Medallist Stuart
Shedden, joins his older brother Steven who is a Juvenile World
Champion solo drummer in the band - a family with a great pedigree
that is sure to be enhanced in the years to come.