More Pipe Band Video from the Scottish Championships

Most of us in pipe band-land tend to focus on the top tier Grade 1 bands. Without a doubt, those prize winners are worthy of a listen at a contest like the Scottish Championships, held last Saturday. But also worth a listen are the winners of the lower grades, who work just as hard and can also serve as examples to our little band scene here in the US.

Here is the performance by the George Watson College Pipe Band, the winners of the Juvenile grade. GWC perennially churns out bagpiping children of a quality that is probably not matched elsewhere. Their performance is first rate and grounded in the basics. What you won’t hear are snatches of music from the “best of” Grade 1 medleys of the last five years. The 2011 crop of youngsters perform a simple, straight medley filled with classic bagpipe tunes and judicious harmonies. Their opener is the 2/4 parade march “The MacKenzie Highlanders.” A fine lesson for all those US bands searching for their musical voice.