At the recent Southern Downs Regional Council Youth Awards, The SCOTS PGC College Pipes and Drums won the community band/musician of the year for 2010 and it’s easy to see why, with the amount of involvement they have within the local community.
This was in recognition of numerous performances in the Southern Downs community over 2010 as well as competitive achievements.
A proud Grace Peterson, their drum sergeant, was awarded the certificate on behalf of the Pipes and Drums students.
At the 107th Maclean Highland Gathering, a small contingent travelled in their Easter break to perform in a solo competition with great success.
Notable results were Rylie Douglas who won the Lachlan McCabe Memorial prize, Kirby Douglas who won Sub-Intermediate piper, Grace Peterson placed second in Intermediate Tenor drumming and Dominic Anderson-Strudwick, new to the college this year, performed brilliantly to win the Drum Major competition and claimed first prize in the elementary Bass Drum.
Stuart Kemsley won the Elementary Snare Drum with Jacob Chalk in second place performing magnificently with maturity beyond his years, to claim the Sub-intermediate Snare Drum prize.
Robert Gibb, one of their UK Gap students, performed magnificently to take out the Gold Medal for Open piping, an incredible achievement that has much credibility in the world of piping.
Also, the Pipes and Drums proudly paraded through the Warwick streets at the ANZAC Parade on April 25 in remembrance of our fallen heroes.
The Pipes and Drums attended the Glen Innes Culture Festival at the end of April. They played at various locations around the festival site and at a community aged care facility.
The band promoted itself and the college admirably throughout the weekend, with much positive feedback on performance, appearance and conduct.
These events were significant in the Pipes and Drums calendar as they promoted teamwork and core development whilst at the same time giving the general public opportunities to view the band.
A small contingent from the Pipes and Drums travelled to Adelaide to compete in the RU Brown Memorial Solo Piping competition on May 8.
Robert Urquhart Brown was the Sovereigns piper at the royal summer retreat at Balmoral as well as being a gamekeeper. On retirement he travelled the world to promote bagpiping (particularly Piobaireachd, the classical music of the bagpipe) but sadly died soon after his return trip from Australia in the early 1970s. A society was set up in his memory in South Australia.
The competition is a premier event in the annual solo piping calendar in Australasia.
Robert Gibb was delighted to be asked to be a recitalist for the evening before the competition and gave a performance of traditional music that was enjoyed by all.
In the competitions the following day, Robert picked up a second in the Hornpipe and Jig and a fifth in the March Strathspey and Reel open events.
In the graded events, Kirby Douglas picked up a third in the Bronze Medal Piobaireachd and a fourth in the light music.
Rylie Douglas finished second in the Novice Piobaireachd.
A quieter month enjoyed
Zonta Stanthorpe enjoyed a quieter month for October, our first meet and greet was held at Stanny Brewhouse which saw a couple of prospective...
