Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band

Muirhead and Sons Pipe Band
Established 1928
Disbanded 1978
Location Grangemouth
Grade 1 (former)
Tartan Princess Elizabeth
Notable honours World Champions: 1955, 1956, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969

Muirhead and Sons Pipe Band was a pipe band based in Grangemouth, Scotland. The band was highly successful, winning the World Pipe Band Championships a total of eight times.[1] This total has been surpassed only by Strathclyde Police, Shotts and Dykehead, and Field Marshal Montgomery pipe bands who held the title twenty-one, fifteen, and ten times respectively, and equalled by the Clan MacRae Society Pipe Band which also won eight times.

History

The band was named after, and affiliated with, the company Muirhead & Sons, a sawmill based in Grangemouth and founded by George A. Muirhead in the 1880s.[2][3] Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band was founded in 1928, and started competing in 1932.[4] After a hiatus during World War II, the band reformed in 1946.[4] It won all the Major Championships in Grade 2 in 1948, and was therefore promoted to Grade 1.[5]

The pipe band won the World Championships in 1955, 1956 and 1961 under the leadership of Pipe Major Jackie Smith.[6][7] Under Robert G. Hardie the band won the World Championships in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969.[8] This run of five consecutive wins was a record until the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band won six times in a row between 1981 and 1986, a record that still stands.[9]

Jim Hutton was leading drummer when the band won the World Championships in 1961.[10][11] David Hutton was a member of the band along with Andrew Dowie for all eight of the band's World Championship victories.[12]

The band was disbanded in 1978, the year of its 50th anniversary.[12][13] The City of Victoria Pipe Band in British Columbia was founded by James Troy on the model of Muirhead and Sons and Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia.[14][13]

Recordings

The band made several recordings, and has also appeared in later compilation albums.[4][15]

References

  1. ↑ "World Champions". pipeband.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "Scottish Post Office Directories". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Timber Industries Finding Aid" (PDF). falkirkcommunitytrust.org. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band finding aid" (PDF). falkirkcommunitytrust.org. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "Successful Pipe Band". The Timber Trades Journal and Saw-mill Advertiser. 208-209: 1378. 1954.
  6. ↑ Michael Grey. "5 Seminal Moments in Pipe Band History". dunaber.com. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  7. ↑ "World Championship Winning Pipe Bands". pipingpress.com. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "History". rghardie.com. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "Strathclyde Police Pipe Band". schoolofpiping.com. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "022: Jim Hutton". piperspersuasion.trad.org.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "Jim Hutton". pipesdrums.com. 30 November 2000. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  12. 1 2 "David Hutton, 1934-2012 (updated)". pipesdrums.com. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Interview with Donald MacBride" (PDF). thepipingcentre.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  14. ↑ "James W. Troy". jwtreeds.com. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  15. ↑ "Muirhead and Sons Ltd. Pipe Band". musicmoz.org. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
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