Scottish Power Pipe Band http://www.scottishpowerpipeband.com

Scottish Power Pipe Band, Pipe Major Chris Armstrong and Leading Drummer Barry Wilson, is among the top pipe bands in the world having been regular and consistent prize winners in all major pipe band championships in recent years.

The band consists of some of the best of Scotland’s pipers and drummers, many of whom have won major prizes for solo performances. The Pipe Major who took up the appointment this season, is a teacher in the National Piping Centre, Glasgow and has won many competitions in solo piping including the Gold Medal for Piobaireachd at the Northern meeting at Inverness. Barry Wilson the Leading Drummer played with Shotts and Dykehead for around twelve years before joining ScottishPower and is a very successful solo successful competition drummer.

The band was formed in 1969 and was formerly known as The Pipes and Drums of British Caledonian Airways”. In 1989, Scottish Power took over sponsorship of the band. Since then the band has gone from strength to strength having been Scottish Champions twice, the prestigious Cowal Champions twice, second twice in the World Championship and have been second in the European and third in the British Championship. At the beginning of 2000 the band became the first ever non-Irish band to win the All Ireland Pipe Band Championship.

The band has twice been second overall in the Champion of Champions League. The band has performed and been seen on television throughout the world. It has appeared at such venues as the Scottish Exhibition Centre with Paul McCartney; with the BBC Symphony Orchestra; took part in Classical Aid; was on “Top of the Pops” with a slightly more successful Scottish World Cup Football Squad; played in La Scala Milan, Italy; was in Queretaro, Mexico and Genoa, Italy for the Football World Cup. We have played on the Great Wall of China when at an International Music Festival, in Beijing; at Tobu World Square, Japan as well as throughout Europe, USA and Canada; before the queen at Braemar; at a Royal Command Performance at the Lyceum Theatre, London and at the opening of the Scottish Parliament. We have also played for the Pope in the Vatican, Rome and at tattoos throughout the world and many other engagements too numerous to mention.

We have taken part as guest band at the New Hampshire Highland Games in the USA as well as at a Celtic Festival at the Stade de France, Paris were on the Hogmanay Show on BBC Television on numerous occasions, and have appeared on Italian Television in their Christmas Show from the Vatican where we also played for the late Pope John Paul 11 at a private audience.

The Band has played on many occasions played with the R.S.N.O and Phil Cunningham at a concert at Cuizean Castle and in the Usher Hall, Edinburgh and at the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow as well as at the Royal Variety Performance at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh in front of Her Majesty.