Glasgow Police Pipe Band Explained

Glasgow Police Pipe Band
Established:1883
Disbanded:2021 (now Police Scotland & Federation Pipe Band)
Location:Glasgow
Grade:1
Tartan:Royal Stewart
Honours:World Pipe Band Championships: 1920, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991

World Drum Corps Champions: 1936, 1951, 1952, 1972

Glasgow Police Pipe Band was a grade one pipe band from Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1883 as the Burgh of Govan Police Pipe Band, the band enjoyed its greatest competitive success as the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band. It ceased competing as Glasgow Police Pipe Band in 2021.

History

The band was one of the first civilian bands in Britain when it formed in 1883 as the Burgh of Govan Police Pipe Band.[1] The first pipe major was William Bremer, who was succeeded by Walter Drysdale in 1890, who was in turn succeeded by Alexander Hutcheon in 1898.[1] The band enjoyed a good reputation, and was recognised nationally for its quality.[2] [3] It wore a tartan designed by the Chief Constable and played two concerts annually to raise funds.[2]

Govan was annexed into Glasgow along with Partick in 1912, and the band became the City of Glasgow Police Pipe Band.[4] In 1913 William Gray, a Gold Medal winner, replaced Hutcheon as pipe major, and the tartan was also replaced with the Royal Stewart.[1] The band won its first World Championship in 1920, but due to Gray's focus on events other than competition the next time the band won the Worlds was 1936.[1]

Gray was succeeded in 1932 by John MacDonald, a student of Gray for many years and also a Gold Medal winner, having won at both the Argyllshire Gathering and the Northern Meeting within a week.[1] Under MacDonald, the band won the World Championships in 1936, 1937, 1938 and 1939, and after the Second World War in 1946, 1949 and 1951.[1]

Angus MacDonald succeeded John MacDonald in 1958, and rebuilt the band after the loss of senior players through retirement had reduced the band's competitiveness.[1] [5] Under Angus MacDonald the band won every major championship except the Worlds.[5]

Ronald Lawrie succeeded Angus MacDonald as pipe major in 1967, but due to ill health Lawrie was succeeded by Ian MacLellan in 1972.[1] In 1975, Strathclyde Police was formed by the merger of several police forces to form the second-largest police force in Britain, and the respective bands were merged into the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band under the leadership of Ian MacLellan.[6]

Under MacLellan and leading drummer Alex Connell the band won the World Championships in 1976 and 1979, being placed second to Dysart and Dundonald in 1977 and 1978.[6] Strathclyde Police then won every year from 1981 to 1986, and then four consecutive times from 1988 to 1991.[6] In 1987, the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band from Canada became the first band based outside Scotland to win the title, and Simon Fraser University, also from Canada, came second, pushing Strathclyde Police into third place.[7] [6] The run of six consecutive wins remains a record, as does the twenty total wins accumulated throughout the band's history.[1]

MacLellan retired in 1992 and was succeeded by Harry McAleer, who led the band until 1996 when he was succeeded by Ian Plunkett. Plunkett was succeeded by James Wark in 2001. Wark retired and was succeeded by Donald Mackay in 2004.[8] Under Mackay, the band enjoyed championship successes once again, winning the European Pipe Band Championships[9] and Cowal Highland Gathering in 2006 and the Scottish Championships in 2007.[10] Mackay stood down in 2008 and was succeeded by Don Bradford. [11]

In 2009, funding cuts and a restriction on the number of events the band could play at threatened the future of the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band.[12] [13] [14] [15] Bradford and pipe-sergeant Duncan Nicholson resigned in protest, but returned in January 2010 after a new funding agreement was reached.[16]

Duncan Nicholson succeeded Bradford as pipe major in 2010.[17] In 2013, territorial police forces in Scotland were amalgamated to form Police Scotland. The structure of the band was unchanged however the band changed its name to Greater Glasgow Police Scotland Pipe Band.[18] [19] In 2015, Nicholson was replaced as Pipe Major by Iain MacPherson. [20] In the following year, 2016, the band changed name again becoming the Glasgow Police Pipe Band and their leading drummer Eric Ward was replaced by David Henderson. [21] [22]

In December 2019, Iain McPherson stepped down as Pipe Major and Alisdair McLaren was appointed. McLaren later stepped down in January 2020 due to unforeseen family matters. [23] Following McLaren's resignation, Duncan Nicholson, former pipe major, was appointed. [24] Later, the band announced Ewan Henderson would be appointed Pipe Major with immediate effect, succeeding Duncan Nicholson, who stepped in as interim Pipe Major. [25]

In 2021, the band announced it would cease competing as the Glasgow Police Pipe Band and begin to be known as Police Scotland & Federation Pipe Band and change from their famous Royal Stewart kilt which the band wore for 108 years.[26]

Evolution of Band Name

The band faced many name changes throughout its 138 year history due to boundary changes within the Police force.

Pipe Majors

Leading Drummers

Discography

as City of Glasgow Police Pipe Band

as Strathclyde Police Pipe Band

as Greater Glasgow Police Scotland Pipe Band

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Band History – The Early Years . glasgowpolicepb.org . 15 June 2015.
  2. Book: Manson, William Laird. The Highland bagpipe. 1901 . 978-5-87701-213-4. 293.
  3. Book: The Celtic Monthly: A Magazine for Highlanders. 1905. A. Sinclair.
  4. News: How Glasgow annexed Govan and Partick 100 years ago . Reevel Alderson . BBC News . 7 August 2012 . 16 June 2015.
  5. News: Angus Macdonald . 24 June 2000 . The Herald . 16 June 2015.
  6. Web site: Famous Pipers – P/M Ian Mclellan BEM, Strathclyde Police . pipingpress.com . 16 June 2015.
  7. News: How SFU bagpipers won the world championships - over the Scots . Martha Lederman . The Globe and Mail . 5 July 2013 . 16 June 2015.
  8. Web site: Mackay new Strathclyde Police pipe-major . 2024-04-30 . pipesdrums . en-US.
  9. Web site: Updated: Strathclyde Police win European Championship . 2024-04-30 . pipesdrums . en-US.
  10. Web site: 2008-01-31 . 2007 Scottish Champions: Strathclyde Police . 2024-04-30 . pipesdrums . en-US.
  11. Web site: Update 2: Donald Mackay resigns as Strathclyde Police P-M . 2024-04-30 . pipesdrums . en-US.
  12. News: Pipe band puts strain on police time and costs . 28 September 2009 . Helen McArdle . 16 June 2015.
  13. News: Update 2: Strathclyde Police force to pull plug on competition band: sources . 28 February 2009 . pipesdrums.com . 16 June 2015.
  14. News: Strathclyde Police Pipe Band: "it's over" . 31 October 2009 . pipesdrums.com . 16 June 2015.
  15. News: Update 2: Strathclyde P-M resigns; end of band "likely" . 31 October 2009 . pipesdrums.com . 16 June 2015.
  16. News: Strathclyde Police officially a go for 2010; Bradford reinstated . 31 January 2010 . pipesdrums.com . 16 June 2015.
  17. News: Duncan Nicholson appointed Strathclyde Police P-M after multiple meetings . 30 November 2010 . pipesdrums.com . 16 June 2015.
  18. News: Strathclyde Police Pipe Band reaches the end of an era . BBC News . 2 February 2013 . 1 February 2015.
  19. News: Strathclyde Police Pipe Band will change "in name only" . 31 January 2013 . pipesdrums.com . 16 June 2015.
  20. News: Glasgow Police: Nicholson steps down; MacPherson now P-M . 30 September 2015 . pipesdrums.com . 22 May 2024.
  21. News: Glasgow Police to start rebuilding with Henderson . 29 September 2016 . pipesdrums.com . 9 October 2016.
  22. News: No less great, now just Glasgow Police . 6 October 2016 . pipesdrums.com . 9 October 2016.
  23. News: Glasgow Police again issue APB for new Pipe Major . 29 January 2020 . pipesdrums.com . 22 May 2024.
  24. News: Nicholson returns as Glasgow Police pipe-major . 19 February 2020. pipesdrums.com . 22 May 2024.
  25. News: Another leadership change for Glasgow Police as Henderson becomes P-M . 9 June 2020 . pipesdrums.com . 22 May 2024.
  26. News: Glasgow Police change name to Police Scotland Federation Pipe Band. 1 July 2021 . pipesdrums.com . 22 May 2024.