Coriovallum Pipe Band

The Coriovallum Pipe Band plays traditional Scottish bagpipe music. The CPB is classified in Grade 3 of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association. The band wears the Ancient Red Grant tartan and performs in both “Full Dress” and “Day Dress”.

The band has set itself the goal of providing high-quality performances at home and abroad. Since its formation in 1978, the band has performed in Scotland, the Benelux, France, Switzerland and Germany and twice in Japan. In addition, the band participates in several pipe band competitions every year to maintain and improve our musical qualities at the current level.

On April 30, 1950, the Heerlen Police Music Chapel marched for the first time with a section of bagpipers through the city of Heerlen. The HPMK had been in existence for several years at the time. Partly as a result of the post-war optimism and the urge for new things, this music corps was founded within the Heerlen police force shortly after the liberation. British style was there from the start, with a drum corps, horn players and flutists. So-called “drum bands” were still an unknown concept in these parts.

But Kapellmeister Theo Heins was looking for something ‘different’. When he came into contact with the military pipe band of “The 42nd Batt. Black Watch Highland Regiment”, based in Duisburg (D), the idea was born.

The then Pipe Major Jimmy Jenkinson was immediately enthusiastic and very soon after that six police officers from Heerlen followed a crash course in playing the bagpipes.

Although the HPMK never grew into a real Pipe Band, it remained a mixed corps in police uniform, this was the first time on the European continent that Scottish Pipe music was presented as an association.

Meanwhile, the Coriovallum Pipe Band in Heerlen was founded in 1978 by Steph Quaedvlieg, Hein Quaedvlieg and James Verner. Although the Coriovallum Pipe Band is completely separate from the former HPMK, it can still be said that the torch has been taken over in a dignified way.

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