The 24th annual pipes|drums New Year’s Honours

2024 Piping/Drumming Event of the Year

World Pipe Band Championships

The Big Machine on the Green rolls along. It’s a monstrous undertaking, and the RSPBA’s ability to keep the event running on time never ceases to amaze. It’s an impossible job to satisfy 200-plus pipe bands and thousands of competing pipers, drummers, and drum-majors, and they always come close to pulling it off. Credit where due: there’s nothing else like the World’s.

Panellists’ comments:

• Only the best can handle it. Deserved recognition for a band at the height of their powers.
• Think of how much impact this event has on participants and audiences. From Novice Juvenile through Grade 1, lifelong memories are made.
• Gotta pick the big show.
• An event that runs like clockwork. With a grade 1 event that had multiple contenders, it was the most anticipated World Championship in years. In grades 2 and 3 the success of International bands made this truly a Worlds Championship. And the standard of Juvenile bands continues to amaze. A veritable feast of pipe bands in all grades.
• Nothing can compare to this event, it’s just such a monstrous undertaking for the organizers of the event let alone for the individual bands. It’s the big one.
• Wonderfully magical competition.

Also nominated (in alphabetical order with a few comments from the panel)

“An Crios Gréine,” Sunbelt Invitational Solo Piping Competition – Eric Stein’s Florida competition continues to gain a reputation as one of the world’s top events.

• A well-organized and well-financed event bringing top solo players to a place not typically associated with solo piping. This makes the loss of the Dan Reid sting a little bit less.

Cabar Feidh, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pre-World’s Concert – The reigning World Champions in full flight, just days before they defended the title. More than two hours of The Boggies and accompanying musicians was another amazing show.

• A fitting retirement outing for Ross Harvey, and full of absolute Boghall classics and new boundary-pushing material.
• It’s been long overdue since Boghall performed the pre-worlds concert. It was such a win last year, and to be able to still celebrate that high this year was phenomenal.

Chicago Highland Games – The biggest pipe band event in the United States made more history with the use of audio judging. The event ran perfectly, with a large attendance, excellent nearby accommodation, and relatively easy travel for bands across the continent.

• This was a difficult choice, but the intro to a wide group of bands to recorded comments by a superb set of judges really decided this for me.

Glenfiddich Invitational Solo Piping Championship – The first year of the world’s top invitational solo piping contest was a victory for the the National Piping Centre in their first year of running the event.

• Just oozes class to me.

Inspired 2024, St. Laurence O’Toole concert in Aberdeen – The annual concert sponsored by Bucksburn & District brought over Ireland’s finest in a pre-season tour-de-force.

• A pre-season showcase from a genuine showband. Set SLOT up nicely for the majors ahead.

New Zealand Pipe Band Championships – It’s an annual treat for those in the Northern Hemisphere to be able to tune in to the NZ Nationals. Per capita, next to Scotland, New Zealand produces more top-grade bands than anywhere on earth, and it’s a very close second.

• As far away from the centre of piping as you can get, but look what they can come up with. Fifty-odd bands, including four in Grade 1, brought to the world with first-rate live coverage. They kept us going during the long northern winter.

Thanks to our panel of experts who gave their time and expertise to select the winners. Thank you also to our advertisers and subscribers for making pipes|drums possible.

Previous pipes|drums New Year’s Honours:

Best wishes to all of our readers, subscribers and advertisers for a safe, healthy and prosperous 2025!