As another school year comes to an end, we had the very great pleasure of listening to the United Kingdom Pipe Band Champions – our very own Pipe Band – at the annual Beating the Retreat concert this term. ‘Beating the Retreat’ is St Columba's School's spectacle of sound, colour and pageantry; it is a wonderful, celebratory event, intended to close the school year on a high – which was very much the case on Monday, 20th of June.
Given that Beating the Retreat has been an online event for the last two years, we decided to provide a free concert for the entire community. We moved from our usual venue of the Junior School playground to Birkmyre Park so that no limit of families and friends enjoy the evening, which they did! The programme was packed with fine music including:
- Scotland the Brave / Rowan Tree / Bonnie Galloway / the Old Rustic Bridge
- Highland Cathedral
- Competition Set
- Drum Fanfare
- Flower of Scotland
- Finale – Scot’s Wa Hae / Glasgow City Police
- Greenhills / Battle’s Over
The following pupils were either welcomed into the band, congratulated on winning prizes or wished a fond farewell as they leave school at the end of this academic year.
Pipers: Brodie Mac, Joshua R, Matthew D, Joseph L, David S, and Jason L
Snare Drummers: Alex I, Eilidh W, Arun M
Bass Section: Rubi M, Georgia S, Lily Mac-W
Leavers: Finlay D, Finlay G, Abby P, Matt M and Sam C
Piping Prize: Ross A
Drumming Prize: Sophie P
Pipes & Drums in The Park was the culmination of another impressive year for our pipers and drummers, who are competing in another busy competition season this summer. Earlier this month, the band were crowned United Kingdom Pipe Band Champions - the school’s first ever Major Pipe Band title! In late June, they will compete in the European Pipe Band Championships followed by the World Pipe Band Championships in August, both for the very first time! I am sure you will agree that this ambitious endeavour pays testament to the commitment of everyone in our already multi-award-winning Piping and Drumming Programme, in which around one fifth of our pupils are enrolled. Well done to everyone on their hard work and tenacity this year – including the sector-leading staff, which includes:
- Mr Gordon Bruce, Piping & Drumming Programme Manager and Bagpipes/Chanter Instructor
- Mr Kyle Warren, Bagpipes/Chanter Instructor
- Mr Steven Nelson, Snare Drum Instructor
- Miss Louise Augaitis, Tenor and Bass Drum Instructor