NZ Championship Pipe Band Title Returns to Canterbury

Canterbury Caledonian Society’s Pipe Band,

5 March 2013

NZ Championship Pipe Band Title Returns to Canterbury

At the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 March 2013, the Canterbury Caledonian Society Pipe Band successfully defended the New Zealand Pipe Band Championship. Having won the Grade 1 Championship for the first time in 2012, the Band travelled to Timaru this year and completed a comprehensive victory.

The Band, led by Pipe Major Richard Hawke and Drum Sergeant James Laughlin, both internationally regarded exponents of bagpipes and drums, won the Grade 1 Medley and Selection events, the New Zealand Drumming Championship and also took trophies for the best bass and tenor section.

Band Chairman, Richard Smith, sees the Championship as a reward for all of the hard work, dedicated practice and effort of the band members and supporters, in particularly trying circumstances. The Canterbury Caledonian Society was based at the Caledonian Hall in Kilmore Street, Christchurch however that building was destroyed by the earthquake on 22 February 2011. Since then all of the Society’s pipe bands have been practising in various facilities around Christchurch with no permanent base.

The Society’s other bands also did well at the Championships. The Grade 4 Band finished 4th and in Grade 3 the Band was narrowly placed 2nd behind the South Canterbury Pipe Band. “These results clearly place the Canterbury Caledonian Society as the leading pipe band organisation in New Zealand. This reflects the investment in tutoring and training which the Society has made in its pipe bands, through the generous support of organisations such as the Canterbury Community Trust”, said Smith.

In August this year the Band will travel to Glasgow to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships. The Band competed there in 2010 and 2011, and hopes that with winning both the 2012 and 2013 NZ Pipe Band Championships that will be a springboard for further success in Scotland. The cost of that trip will be in excess of $150,000 however, so with the Nationals now behind them the Band is now focusing on and fundraising, and learning some new tunes!

ENDS

© Scoop Media