Newly-formed Glasgow Pipes & Drums granted Grade 1 status

For only the third known time in Scottish Pipe Band Association history, the recently-formed Glasgow Pipes & Drums have been officially granted Grade 1 status by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, and will play its first competition at the top level.

The band was formed as a result of changes in the David Urquhart Travel Pipes & Drums (DUT) in February 2004. Former DUT Pipe-Major Don Bradford and former Royal Ulster Constabulary Pipe Band (RUC) leading drummer Gary Corkin lead the Glasgow Pipes & Drums.

According to Bradford: “It is apparent that all sections of the band have to be strong to compete in today’s competition arena. The opportunity of having Gary Corkin as the leading drummer of the band is a chance in a lifetime. We are all looking forward to the new season with renewed enthusiasm.”

The Glasgow Pipes & Drums have recently added new pipers to its ranks. The well-known bagpipe makers Stuart McCallum and Kenny MacLeod of McCallum Bagpipes of Kilmarnock left the ScottishPower Pipe Band in March 2004.

ScottishPower recently acquired a new set of chanters made by R.T. Shepherd & Son.

Don Bradford was Pipe-Major of the Black Bottle Pipe Band in the early 1990s before the band took on sponsorship from David Urquhart Travel. He has also played with Boghall & Bathgate, the Strathclyde Police and the 78th Fraser Highlanders.

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