The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association would like to say a big thank you to John Nevans, Allan Craig, Keith A Bowes, Keith J Bowes, Cameron Lawson and Josh Esson for their dedication, hard work and commitment in bringing together a very successful “Wake Up, Shake Up” 2023 Summer School.
This year we had a really exciting group of students who were enthusiastic and eager to learn. Their energy and willingness to learn shone through their piping and drumming. Even during breaks, the students were practicing on chanters and drum pads. Two of our students also managed to fit in an SQA Assessment in Piping. At the end of each day, students and tutors had put in a hard shift but were eager to come back again the next day. On Wednesday evening, they visited Johnstone Pipe Band to watch the band practice before the Scottish Championships.
Our guests this year were Glenn Brown and Steven McWhirter.
Glenn is a 3 time World Pipe Band Champion with Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band. In 2017, Glenn won the Senior Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering, the Captain John MacLellan Memorial Medal (2018), the Donald MacDonald Cuaich and the Piobaireachd at the Glenfiddich Championship (2019) and the Bratach Gorm in London 2018 and 2021.
Steven has won the Adult World Solo Drumming Championships on 11 occasions and has won the World Pipe Band Championship with both Simon Fraser University and with his current band Inveraray. Steven has also won 2 juvenile world titles, along with multiple All-Ireland and Ulster titles.
Our students were excited about learning from two world renowned major talents in the Pipe Band world. Our thanks to Glenn and Steven for their contributions.
On our last day, we had a great audience of parents, grannies and grandads, brothers and sisters and friends to listen to the students coming together to showcase what they have achieved throughout the week in a great concert provided by the Summer School participants.
We are extremely proud to announce some very exciting news that we wish to share with you, the 2024 Summer School “Star Chaser 24” is now in preparation. The date has been set for 22nd July 2024. More information on this will be brought to you via our website.
