World’s dozen finalists announced

Glasgow – August 11, 2017 – the 12 bands to qualify for the Grade 1 Final of the 2017 World Pipe Band Championships were determined at Glasgow Green today, with a total of 20 bands vying for the dozen places. Every band competed in a Medley and MSR event in their group of 10, using the same order-of-play in each contest. Weather was overcast and cool all day with a few spells of rain, at times heavy. There were one or two moments of sunshine.

Those going on to compete for the World Championship on Saturday, August 12th, are, in alphabetical order:

Dowco Triumph Street (Canada)

Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland)

Glasgow Police (Scotland)

Inveraray & District (Scotland)

Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia (Scotland)

Police Scotland Fife (Scotland)

Police Service of Northern Ireland

ScottishPower (Scotland)

Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland)

Simon Fraser University (Canada)

St. Laurence O’Toole (Ireland)

Vale of Atholl (Scotland)

Also competing but not making the final were:

78th Fraser Highlanders (Canada)

Auckland & District (New Zealand)

Bleary & District (Northern Ireland)

Buchan Peterson (Scotland)

Johnstone (Scotland)

Peel Regional Police (Canada)

Ravara (Northern Ireland)

Toronto Police (Canada)



Order of play for the Saturday final in both events:

Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland)

Inveraray & District (Scotland)

Glasgow Police (Scotland)

Police Scotland Fife (Scotland)

Dowco Triumph Street (Canada)

Police Service of Northern Ireland

St. Laurence O’Toole (Ireland)

Vale of Atholl (Scotland)

Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia (Scotland)

Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland)

Simon Fraser University (Canada)

ScottishPower (Scotland)

Qualifier Judges

Group 1 Medley and Group 2 MSR: Piping: Jim Semple (Scotland), Brian Switalla (New Zealand); drumming: Paul Brown (Scotland); ensemble: John Moles (Scotland).

Group 2 Medley and Group 1 MSR: Piping: Dixie Ingram (Scotland), Ian Wood (Scotland); Drumming: Lee Innes (Scotland); ensemble: Joe Noble (Scotland).

Judges for the Saturday Final

Medley: Piping: Tom Brown (Scotland), Sam Young (Australia); drumming: Greg Dinsdale (Canada); ensemble: Robert Mathieson (Scotland)

MSR: Piping John Wilson (Scotland), Donald MacPhee (Scotland); drumming: Alex Dudgeon (Scotland); ensemble: Tony Sloane (Scotland)

None of the three bands from Ontario, Canada, managed to go through to the final. The 78th Fraser Highlanders came closest, finishing seventh in each of their events. Auckland & District of New Zealand finished fifth in their medley event, with two fourths in piping, but was tenth in their MSR heat.

The Toronto Police Pipe Band’s medley marked the final competition of Bill Livingstone’s career.