Glasgow highland club’s annual competitions for school pipe bands

The Glasgow Highland Club’s Annual Competitions for School Pipe Bands and Individual Pipers and Drummers will take place at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, 21 Beaton Road, Glasgow, G41 4NW on SUNDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2025 at 10.30am.

Full details of the various Competitions and administrative arrangements for the event are here. There is no entry fee. The Entry Form is here (to be submitted by Friday 24 January 2025).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

This annual competition is designed to help schools develop their pipers and drummers and their performance, that is: their collective performance as a band and their individual performance as a solo competitor. The Competition is positioned early in the competing season so that bands and individuals can use the experience to improve their performance skills, to get positive critiques from experienced judges, and gain confidence “on the boards”.

Band Contests – there are 3 Grades: Senior Grade – suitable for bands graded Juvenile. Intermediate Grade – suitable for bands with competition experience or bands graded Novice Juvenile A. Junior Grade – suitable for development bands, bands who have not yet competed or bands in Novice Juvenile B.

Individual Competitions – competitions cover the span of ages and competence levels: Piping – Senior, Intermediate and Junior. Drumming – Senior and Junior.

THE 2025 COMPETITION:

Full details of the Competitions and administrative arrangements for the event are here. There is no entry fee. The Entry Form is here (to be submitted by Friday 24 January 2025).

Glasgow Highland Club is very grateful for the generous support of sponsors for making the 2025 Competition possible – McCallum Bagpipes; Kingdom Thistle Pipe Band Supplies; R G Hardie Bagpipes; Scottish Building Society; McGill’s Buses; and Tunnock’s. We are also very grateful to Hutchesons’ Grammar School for the use of its facilities.

Spectators to the event are always very welcome and a considerable cohort of parents, supporters and followers of pipe band events attended the competition last year. There is ample car parking in the immediate area, and train stations (Pollokshields West and Crossmyloof) are close-by. The band contest begins at 1030, solo competitions runs from 1300, and Massed Bands and prize giving is usually around 1530. A printed programme is available to guide you through the day, including lists of all the competition draws; and refreshments are available from the School dining facility on a self-pay basis.

Organisation of the event is undertaken by a small action group of Club Members. They are assisted on the day by additional Members who help to ensure that bands and soloists can be at their competition areas in accordance with the programme.

History of the principal prize – The Highland Shield Challenge Trophy: The Highland Shield Challenge Trophy was presented by The Glasgow Highland Club to the Glasgow Battalion of the Boys’ Brigade in 1909 for annual Pipe Band competition. It was the principal trophy up until 1966, after which it became the principal trophy of the Glasgow Highland Club’s schools pipe band competition.

The Highland Shield has always been used to encourage pipe band participation and performance. From its earliest years: “only Boys’ Brigade members of qualifying age could participate, and numbers were limited to six pipers, two side drummers and a bass drummer. The limited numbers encouraged companies who did not have large numbers of players to participate.”

Encouraging participation and performance are key aims of the Glasgow Highland Club Schools competition to this day.

[1] Courtesy of 214 Company, Glasgow Battalion, Boys Brigade. Of note, 214 Company lifted the Highland Shield in serial fashion, winning the Glasgow Battalion Pipe Band Competition 29 times: 1944, 1947 and 27 consecutive wins from 1949 to 1975.

REFLECTION ON THE 2024 COMPETITION:

Glasgow Highland Club Annual Schools’ Competition took place on Sunday 25 February 2024, at Hutchesons’ Grammar School. Nine pipe bands took part, and some 85 individual pipers and drummers entered the 5 solo competitions.

Our thanks are due to all who took part in the competition: competitors; adjudicators; organisers; stewards; the host of spectators; and Hutchesons’ Grammar School.

This annual competition is recovering very strongly from the 3-year pause caused by Covid restrictions. Of note:

• Spectator figures in 2024 were up by well over 100%.
• Increased Band entry, up from 2023.
• Significant increase in the solo entries from 2023.
• New prizes were awarded for the Best Corps of Drums, and Sponsor prizes awarded to those placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the solo events.
• Increased number of prizes received from Sponsors for 2024 – for which we are very grateful.
• Full gloss printed programme (listing all the competition draws) was available, which was a great keep sake and memento of the event.
• It was a really good day – considerable talent and developing potential was on display, fantastic music and confident performances shone throughout the events, and a great day of fellowship was enjoyed by all.