The 2008 World Pipe Band Championships

On Saturday the 16th of August this year, pipers and drummers from all over the world will descend on Glasgow Green to compete for the coveted title of World Pipe Band champions 2008.

The event has taken place in Glasgow almost every year since 1930, when the Scottish Pipe Band Association was formed.  For competitive bands, the championship title is highly coveted, and this event is seen as the culmination of an entire years worth of practise and rehearsals. 

Every year, competitors from around the globe travel to Glasgow for ‘The Worlds’.  This year will see 221 bands from 16 different countries including Canada, Pakistan, France, USA, Oman, Germany and New Zealand.  The home country is of course well represented, with 119 bands from Scotland competing in all levels of the competition.

The competition

The entire Championship takes place in one day.  Prizes are awarded in 8 categories:

• Grade One
• Grade Two
• Grade Three “A”
• Grade Three “B”
• Juvenile
• Grade Four “A”
• Grade Four “B”
• Novice & Juvenile

In the Novice Juvenile and Juvenile categories, band members must be under the age of eighteen, with the exception of one “adult” player, often instructors, who may serve as the Pipe Major or Pipe Sergeant. The remaining categories have no age restriction, but are based on proficiency. Grade One is the highest of these categories, and Novice is the lowest. Grading and eligibility are overseen by the RSPBA, and bands must apply for downgrading or upgrading.

Grade one competition

To win, Grade One bands must perform in two events:

• A March, Strathspey & Reel event (known as an “MSR”).  This consists of three pre-arranged tunes.
• A medley event, which consists of a short selection of music chosen and arranged by the band.

Until 1987, when the title was won by a Canadian pipe band (the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band), the title remained within Scotland.  Since then the title has gone to Northern Ireland 6 times with the Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band, and to Canada 4 times with the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band.  However the most successful band in competition is Glasgows very own Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, who have won the title a total of 20 times.  Coming a close second to this, the House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band have won the title 15 times.

For the past two years (in 2006 and 2007), the Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band (Northern Ireland) have won the competition, and in both years 2nd and 3rd places went to Simon Fraser University Pipe Band (Canada) and House of Edgar – Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band (Scotland) respectively.  It seems that the Field Marchall Montgomery Pipe Band are going to take a bit of beating.  This years competition looks to be quite exciting.  As they say on their website:

8,000 pipes and drums

200 bands

16 nations

1 world champion

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Ticket prices are as follows:

Ticket type	Pre Event	On The Day
General Event Ticket
Adult	£7.00	£9.00
Concession	£4.00	£6.00
Family	£16.00	£19.00
(two adults and two children underthe age of 16)
GRADE 1 Competition Ticket	£20.00	£23.00
Upgrade to GRADE 1 Competition Ticket (from Grade 1 Box Office on the day only)	n/a	£14.00
After The Worlds Shindig with Piping Live!	Adult £16 Concession £12	Adult £16 Concession £12

Tickets can be purchased from SECXtra tickets website.

For more information on this event, including a full list of participating bands, you can visit the official World Pipe Band Championships website here.