Boghall Celtic Connections concert promises new and old material

When the Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band takes the stage of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday afternoon as part ofCeltic Connections‘ annual pipe band concert, the audience will hear a mix of established and brand new material that could foreshadow competition content for the coming season.

According to Pipe-Major Ross Walker, the band has lined up material for the concert, which is to be recorded for BBC Radio Scotland’s Pipeline for probably broadcast on February 2nd, that features “mainly pipes and drums with some of our competition material, a couple of traditional ‘cut and dot’ hornpipes from the band’s past and also some new material we’ve been playing around with that may form part of our new competition medley.”

Interspersed between the full pipe band performances will be a few sets on small pipes, as well as a quartet comprising a few of the newer pipers with the band. Walker added that the concert will be the first public performance for Paul Brown and Craig Sturrock, two pipers who have come up from the organization’s Juvenile band, hoping to compete with the Grade 1 band this summer. “The Celtic Connections concert comes around during what usually is a fairly dormant period for UK bands, so it has been a useful target to work towards,” said Pipe-Major Ross Walker. “The hard work and preparation should pay dividends come the competition season.”

Boghall & Bathgate also features a drum section that gained the 2007 Champion of Champions title in Grade 1 for best overall points accrued at the RSPBA’s five major championships. Boghall enjoyed another strong competition season in 2007, highlighted by second- and third-place finishes at the British and Cowal championships. The band was fourth overall in the Grade 1 Champion of Champions table.

Boghall performed at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall at the 2004 Celtic Connections festival. Also on the bill at the concert is the highly successful National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, a group run by the National Piping Centre, made up of many of Scotland’s top young pipers and drummers.