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ScottishPower to play at REVOLUTION concert – 14th May 2016

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Concert Poster

Are you ready for a Pipe Band REVOLUTION!

Tickets available here

The sixth annual Aberdeen Pipe Band Concert has quickly emerged as the top performance event of the new UK season, and the 2016 version on May 14, 2016, will see the Grade 1 ScottishPower Pipe Band combine with the host Grade 2 Bucksburn & District to mount a show, named “Revolution,” at the Aberdeen Beach Ballroom.

Moving to the new venue with improved acoustics, ScottishPower plans to record the concert for a CD and DVD release in the summer.

ScottishPower Pipe-Major Chris Armstrong has indicated that his band is well ahead of schedule, already scoring more than two hours of new concert material, developing a new competition medley, and ushering in 11 new pipers and several additions to the drum section.

“We always work on making every concert that bit different and special,” Bucksburn band manager Gus McAskill said. “Our visual intros and visuals throughout the show are a big wow factor, moving to the Beach Ballroom will add another special aspect to the show. It’s an amazing setting for the audience to enjoy the masters of the live pipe band performance.”

The Aberdeen concert has featured a series of contending Grade 1 bands, including Field Marshal Montgomery, Inveraray & District, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia and Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia. The various bands in the Bucksburn organization generally perform as an opening act and then in combination with the headline band at the end of the show.

“The timing of this well-established annual event is perfect,” Armstrong said. “Preparing for the competition season is hard enough so having the energy and excitement of the concert to work towards makes the hard work all that bit easier. We have heard a lot about the Aberdeen concert and their energetic audiences, we welcome this opportunity greatly and promise to give the Aberdeen audience a very special night.”

New Leading Tip for 2016 season

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Bucksburn and District Pipe Band are delighted to announce the appointment of Grade 1 Drummer Joe Fleming as its new Lead Drummer. Joe replaces Simon Lipp after he left the band in December 2015.

Joe

The band wishes to express its gratitude to Mike Haggart for his efforts during his short time as Stand-in Lead Drummer. Mike will continue to help and support Joe in his new role.

Joe is a talented young drummer from Lanarkshire and will this year graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a BA (Hons) in Scottish Music. This will take Joe to Aberdeen where he is keen to improve the standard of drumming throughout the North East and would like to introduce pipe band drumming lessons to schools in the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire areas. This along with Joe’s success and experience in the top grade with Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia and Inveraray and District Pipe Bands will take Bucksburn’s drum corps to a new level. It has been some time since Bucksburn’s drum corps had seen success on the competition park and Joe and his energised Corp will strive to bring this back to the band again. We have a young band with very talented players who are keen to do well and Joe’s appointment will enhance this greatly.

Joe is relishing the challenge ahead and has commented “this is an exciting time for me to be taking on this new challenge at Bucksburn. There is a lot of talent within the band and I want to build on this now and well into the future. If anyone in the area would like to come along and try out for the band please get in touch”.

Anyone wishing to join the Drum corps under the leadership of Joe or the Pipe Corp please email our Band Manager at boxypb@gmail.com or Joe at JFleming@rcs.ac.uk

Annual Boxy Ceildh raises £1000 for Ballater Floods Appeal

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Thanks to all of you who came out to support us at our 2016 Burns Night Ceildh, this year held at the Transport Club, Aberdeen. Great night, plenty of normal Boxy banter, dancing and socialising with friends, old and new. Congratulations to our worthy 2015 Award winners – The Tough Family, Kim Milne and Lucy Murray.

To top it all off we managed to raise £1000 for the Ballater Flood Appeal. Well done and thank you to all.

Ceildh

Rocking it with the Chillie Pipers

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The younger members of the band were on stage as usual with the Red Hot Chillie Pipers at their annual December Concert in Aberdeen. What an experience for them all. Here we see Aimie, Murray and Jamie showing the guys how to play the pipes properly!
All Fired Up

Ending the 2015 season on high

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2015 was a year of transition for Bucksburn and District Pipe Band. Over the last two seasons we have been delighted to see some of our younger members making the successful step up from the Novice and Juvenile Bands to the Senior Band. The average age of the G2 Band went from 35 to closer to 25! By the end of the year, these talented young musicians, when added to the well-established Band members, were beginning to show the pipe band world what was coming around the corner for 2016. The season ended with excellent placings at Cowal for both the Senior and Novice Bands. Roll on 2016!

Trophies

Shotts have truly reinvented themselves

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TRULY REINVENTED. What a night, what a concert! Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band give the Aberdeen audience a taste of what they intend to bring into the 2015 competition circle. We wish they every success during 2015.

And both the Boxy Bands did themselves proud too!

Reinvented with Shotts and Dykehead

Shotts To Play 2015 Concert – ‘Reinvented’

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Reinvented Poster

We are very pleased to announce that 15 times world champions and current world drumming champions Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band  will guest our 5th Pre-season concert on the 2nd May 2015.

“REINVENTED” LIVE PIPE BAND CONCERT with BUCKSBURN & DISTRICT and SHOTTS & DYKEHEAD CALEDONIA PIPE BANDS.

The current World Drumming Champions and 15 times World Pipe Band Champions Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band will grace the stage in 2015 with hosts Bucksburn and District Pipe Band at the 5th annual North of Scotland Pipe Band Concert.

Following on from the huge success of Field Marshal Montgomery’s concert in May 2014, Pipe Major Ryan Canning and Leading Drummer Jim Kilpatrick will bring their Band to Aberdeen on 2nd May 2015.

The Concert kick starts the pipe band season with great interest. Pipe band members and supporters join together under one roof and look forward to a good night of entertainment and meeting of old and new friends just 3 weeks before the first championship competition in Bathgate.

Gus McAskill, Bucksburn President said “Every concert to date has given something very special to the Northeast of Scotland and “Reinvented” will be no different with the current World Drumming champions adding to what I’m sure will be extra special for the drumming lovers in the audience. Ryan and Jim have “Reinvented” the band and continue to build on their success from 2014 with the band’s first live concert in years. Ryan has given Shotts a new lease of life with his enthusiasm, knowledge and of course his reputation as one of the most popular composers working today. Its going to be another fantastic night

Ryan Canning Shotts Pipe Major said ““Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band are delighted to have been asked to take part in Bucksburn & District’s widely acclaimed, and now annual, Aberdeen concert.  For us, this is the perfect opportunity to get Shotts back on a concert stage for the first time in many years.  It’s another big step forward for the band as we work on developing a brand new concert repertoire, which we’re excited to debut in May.”

Tickets available here

Youth Workshop

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On Saturday November 30th and Sunday December 1st , Bucksburn & District Pipe Band held their first weekend workshop with the aim of further developing our youth players.

Over 25 Novice juvenile members attended with several Juvenile pipers also coming along.

The NJ band worked with James Campbell and David Brown to enhance their piping and drumming skills and also concentrate on their material for the season ahead.

Neil Selbie worked with the juvenile pipers over the two days to ensure that they are in the best possible position for the season ahead.

David Patterson, Stuart Hart, Eona Will, Raymond Whyte and Gus McAskill were also on hand to assist and ensure that the members bring what they learnt at the weekend forward over the rest of the winter.

Workshop1