News
July 31, 2001

Prince Charles to compete in Grade 2

The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) has confirmed that the MacTarnahan’s Prince Charles Pipe Band of San Francisco, California, has in fact been put into the Grade 2 event at the 2001 World Pipe Band Championships with less than two weeks to go before the event.

Ian Embelton, executive office of the RSPBA, in an interview with Piper & Drummer Online stated that Prince Charles had originally entered for Grade 1, and their original entry was accepted by the administrators of the organization.

However, after a meeting of the RSPBA’s Music Board at Dumbarton during the Scottish Pipe Band Championships on July 28, it was decided that Prince Charles would not be acknowledged as a Grade 1 band, even though the Western United States Pipe Band Association (WUSPBA) had upgraded the band in December 2000. The WUSPBA is an acknowledged affiliate of the RSPBA.

Prince Charles won the Grade 2 event at the 2000 World Pipe Band Championships.

According to Embelton, the draw for Grade 2 had already been made before the Music Board met, and was executed again after the decision of the board. Prince Charles, should they in fact play again in Grade 2 at the World’s, has been drawn fourth out of over 30 bands.

Embelton stated that a letter is on its way to inform Prince Charles of the decision.

The estimated cost of mounting a trip to the World Pipe Band Championships for a band from California is more than US$30,000.

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