Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band
| Muirhead and Sons Pipe Band | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1928 |
| Disbanded | 1978 |
| Location | Grangemouth |
| Grade | 1 (former) |
| Tartan | Princess Elizabeth |
| Notable honours | World Champions: 1955, 1956, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 |
Muirhead and Sons Pipe Band was a pipe band based in Grangemouth, Scotland. The band was highly successful, winning the World Pipe Band Championships a total of eight times.[1] This total has been surpassed only by Strathclyde Police, Shotts and Dykehead, and Field Marshal Montgomery pipe bands who held the title twenty-one, fifteen, and thirteen times respectively, and equalled by the Clan MacRae Society Pipe Band which also won eight times.
History
[edit | edit source]The band was named after, and affiliated with, the company Muirhead & Sons, a sawmill based in Grangemouth and founded by George A. Muirhead in the 1880s.[2][3] Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band was founded in 1928, and started competing in 1932.[4] After a hiatus during World War II, the band reformed in 1946.[4] It won all the Major Championships in Grade 2 in 1948, and was therefore promoted to Grade 1.[5]
The pipe band won the World Championships in 1955, 1956 and 1961 under the leadership of Pipe Major Jackie Smith.[6][7] Under Robert G. Hardie the band won the World Championships in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969.[8] This run of five consecutive wins (still an unbeaten record for a civilian band) was a record until the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band won six times in a row between 1981 and 1986, a record that still stands.[9]
Jim Hutton was leading drummer when the band won the World Championships in 1961.[10][11] David Hutton was a member of the band along with Andrew Dowie for all eight of the band's World Championship victories.[12]
The band was disbanded in 1978, the year of its 50th anniversary.[12][13] The City of Victoria Pipe Band in British Columbia was founded by James Troy on the model of Muirhead and Sons and Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia.[14][13]
Pipe Majors
[edit | edit source]- James Wilson (1928–1952)
- John (Jackie) Smith (1952–1962)
- Robert Hardie (1962–1978)
Discography
[edit | edit source]The band made several recordings, and has also appeared in later compilation albums.[4][15]
- World Champion Pipe Band (1956)
- Champion of Champions (1967)
- Scotland the Brave (1969)
- Sound of the Champions (1971)
- Champions du Monde (1974)
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
